1
: a person who reigns over a kingdom or empire: such as
a
: a sovereign ruler
b
: a constitutional (see constitutional entry 1 sense 1) king or queen
2
: one that holds preeminent position or power
Cotton, monarch of the textile world …—
Wall Street Journal
Wall Street JournalSynonyms of monarch
Examples of monarch in a Sentence
a new history of French monarchs
the ruling monarch of Britain at that time was Queen Elizabeth I
Recent Examples on the Web
The appearance capped a day of military pageantry celebrating the monarch’s official birthday.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026
George, 12, Charlotte, 11, and Louis, 8, looked like veterans at this year’s Trooping the Colour, which is an official celebration of the monarch’s birthday.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 17 June 2026
The duke traditionally accompanies the monarch in the lead carriage of the Royal Procession, a custom that dates back to 1825, when the first Duke of Wellington rode alongside King George IV.
—Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
In the United Kingdom, the head of state is a monarch.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for monarch
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Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026
George, 12, Charlotte, 11, and Louis, 8, looked like veterans at this year’s Trooping the Colour, which is an official celebration of the monarch’s birthday.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 17 June 2026
The duke traditionally accompanies the monarch in the lead carriage of the Royal Procession, a custom that dates back to 1825, when the first Duke of Wellington rode alongside King George IV.
—Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
In the United Kingdom, the head of state is a monarch.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for monarch
Cite this Entry
“Monarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarch. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
monarch
noun
mon·arch
ˈmän-ərk 
-ˌärk
1
: a person who reigns over a kingdom or empire: as
a
: a ruler who has total power
absolute monarch
b
: someone who acts primarily as chief of state and who has only limited powers
constitutional monarch
2
: someone or something like a monarch
the oak is the monarch of the forest
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