monarch

noun

mon·​arch ˈmä-nərk 

-ˌnärk

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

3

: monarch butterfly

monarchal

mə-ˈnär-kəl 

mä-

adjective

or monarchial

mə-ˈnär-kē-əl 

mä-

Synonyms of monarch

• ruler
• sovereign
• emperor

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

According to RadarOnline, those questions are exacerbated by things like the fact that the monarch and his wife keep separate bedrooms. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 1 Aug. 2026

The usual English national anthem ‘God Save The King’ (or Queen, depending on the monarch at the time) was resoundingly rejected, finishing in third (aka last) place with a 12 per cent share. — George Edwards, New York Times, 31 July 2026

In fact, this monarchy-shaking scandal is the reason William and Harry’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth was able to become the longest-reigning British monarch. — Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026

As Diana’s coffin passed by the queen on September 6, the day of her funeral, the monarch—who bows to no one—bowed her head deeply for the Princess of Wales in a sign of respect for Diana and her life tragically cut short. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 28 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin monarcha, from Greek monarchos, from mon- + -archos -arch

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing monarch

• monarch butterfly

Rhymes for monarch

• ballpark
• benchmark
• birthmark
• daymark
• earmark
• embark
• hallmark
• landmark
• postmark
• remark
• skylark
• tetrarch

Kids 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

3

: monarch butterfly

monarchal

mə-ˈnär-kəl 

mä-

adjective

or monarchial

-kē-əl