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
Wall Street JournalExamples 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
Any discussion about the case between the complainant's son and his father could have put the monarch in a difficult legal position.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
And in 2016, Hadid was the first woman to win the RIBA Gold Medal, which recognizes an individual’s substantial contributions to international architecture on behalf of the British monarch.
—Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025
The monarchs of the Arab Gulf would like to maintain their unchallenged domestic political status while expanding their influence in the Middle East and beyond.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
It is not known if the duke will reunite with the British monarch during his short stay.
—Max Foster, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for monarch
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Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
And in 2016, Hadid was the first woman to win the RIBA Gold Medal, which recognizes an individual’s substantial contributions to international architecture on behalf of the British monarch.
—Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025
The monarchs of the Arab Gulf would like to maintain their unchallenged domestic political status while expanding their influence in the Middle East and beyond.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
It is not known if the duke will reunite with the British monarch during his short stay.
—Max Foster, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for monarch
Cite this Entry
“Monarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarch. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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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