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

Tuberculosis, the bacteria often associated with the deaths of Victorian-era monarchs, was recently contracted by more than 200 high school students in San Francisco. —Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026

This comes amid the monarch’s cancer battle and Andrew’s arrest for misconduct in public office, with questions being asked about what King Charles and even Queen Elizabeth before him knew of Andrew’s dealings with Epstein. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 9 Mar. 2026

The former Prince Andrew, King Charles III’s younger brother, remains eighth in line to become monarch. —Christine Valora, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026

Plants also serve as a larval host to monarch caterpillars, making this perennial an integral part of butterfly gardens. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 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