personal union
noun
: a union of two states constituted by their becoming subject to the same personal ruler without loss of independent sovereignty
Examples of personal union in a Sentence
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The Kingdom of Hanover had a personal union with the United Kingdom beginning in 1814, but ended in 1837 due to Salic law (if there were male heirs, a woman could not inherit the title).
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Town & Country, 4 May 2023
Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon forged the identity of the Spanish nation through their personal union, which bound together what had been disparate and fractious kingdoms.
—Razib Khan, National Review, 31 July 2021
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Town & Country, 4 May 2023
Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon forged the identity of the Spanish nation through their personal union, which bound together what had been disparate and fractious kingdoms.
—Razib Khan, National Review, 31 July 2021
Cite this Entry
“Personal union.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal%20union. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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