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
The reigning monarch would get the final say in granting approval to a club.
—Mike Fore, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Biya came to power in 1982 and has remained in office for more than four decades, becoming one of the globe’s longest-serving heads of state, excluding monarchs.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
Plant habitat for monarchs in L.A. Volunteers are needed Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. at Ascot Hills park nursery (4371 Multnomah St.) to develop habitat for monarchs.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Under Iran’s last monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the country’s Jewish community numbered as many as 100,000, with roots in Iran that predate the advent of Islam by more than a millennium.
—Roya Hakakian, The Atlantic, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for monarch
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Mike Fore, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Biya came to power in 1982 and has remained in office for more than four decades, becoming one of the globe’s longest-serving heads of state, excluding monarchs.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
Plant habitat for monarchs in L.A. Volunteers are needed Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. at Ascot Hills park nursery (4371 Multnomah St.) to develop habitat for monarchs.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Under Iran’s last monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the country’s Jewish community numbered as many as 100,000, with roots in Iran that predate the advent of Islam by more than a millennium.
—Roya Hakakian, The Atlantic, 10 July 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 24 Jul. 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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