monarch

noun

mon·arch | \ ˈmä-nərk

How to pronounce monarch (audio)

, -ˌnärk \

Definition of monarch

1 : a person who reigns over a kingdom or empire: such as

a : a sovereign ruler

b : a constitutional (see constitutional entry 1 sense 3) king or queen

2 : one that holds preeminent position or power cotton, monarch of the textile world — Wall Street Journal

3 : monarch butterfly

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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 widowed British monarch, setting an example amid the coronavirus pandemic, sat alone at the ceremony, dressed in black and with her head bowed in prayer. — Danica Kirka And Jill Lawless, Chron, "Prince Philip is laid to rest as somber queen sits alone," 17 Apr. 2021 The widowed British monarch, setting an example amid the coronavirus pandemic, sat alone at the ceremony, dressed in black and with her head bowed in prayer. — Arkansas Online, "Prince Philip is laid to rest as somber queen sits alone," 17 Apr. 2021 His grandfather had come from Denmark during the 1860s to be adopted by Greece as the country’s monarch. — The Salt Lake Tribune, "Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, dies at 99," 9 Apr. 2021 The repercussions of the interview have been felt around with world, with #AbolishTheMonarchy trending on Twitter at one point and renewed calls in Australia for the country to sever ties with the British monarch as head of state. — Victoria Murphy, Town & Country, "Prince William Says the Royal Family Is Not Racist," 11 Mar. 2021 For some, the Commonwealth is an example of changing the name to change the brand, with the brand being the British Empire with the monarch at its head. — Suyin Haynes, Time, "How Meghan and Harry’s Interview Blew Open the Monarchy’s Troubled History With Race," 10 Mar. 2021 Vanity Fair reported that Meghan met with the monarch to talk about the particulars of planning a royal wedding, including flower arrangements. — Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle’s Relationship With the Queen: Everything You Need to Know," 8 Mar. 2021 Prince Harry played down his decision to split with the monarch. — Max Colchester, WSJ, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Oprah Interview Is a Royal Balancing Act," 7 Mar. 2021 In March 2018, Philip abruptly canceled his appearance at the traditional Maundy church service that he was scheduled to attend with the monarch. — Georgia Slater, PEOPLE.com, "Prince Charles Visits His Father Prince Philip in the Hospital on Fourth Night of Recovery," 20 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'monarch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about monarch

Dictionary Entries near monarch

monarch butterfly

Statistics for monarch

Last Updated

3 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Monarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarch. Accessed 10 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for monarch

monarch

noun

English Language Learners Definition of monarch

: a person (such as a king or queen) who rules a kingdom or empire

See the full definition for monarch in the English Language Learners Dictionary

monarch

noun

mon·arch | \ ˈmä-nərk

, -ˌnärk \

Kids Definition of monarch

1 : a person who reigns over a kingdom or an empire

2 : monarch butterfly

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