prince

noun

ˈprin(t)s

Synonyms of prince next

: monarch, king

: the ruler of a principality or state

: a male member of a royal family

especially : a son of the sovereign

: a nobleman of varying rank and status

: one likened to a prince

especially : a man of high rank or of high standing in his class or profession

princeship

ˈprin(t)s-ˌship

noun

Examples of prince in a Sentence

a neighborhood in which the city's merchant princes built palaces that shamelessly celebrated their wealth

Recent Examples on the Web Wimbledon has the tradition, but there is also the Royal Box, where princes and queens sit. —

Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2023 Here, Hamlet is a melancholy suburban prince named Juicy, in a Black family rocked by betrayal and fratricide and ghosts who pop out of backyard grills. —

Peter Marks, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023 World & Nation Jokes about an Arab prince’s wedding got this satire site banned. —

Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023 The prince, whose troubles with the royal family have been chronicled in the past, said the impact of Diana's death was never discussed. —

Anika Reed usa Today, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023 Eleven days after Anne’s execution, Henry married his third wife, Jane Seymour, who gave birth to a prince, the future Edward VI, before dying of childbed fever in October 1537. —

V.m. Braganza, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023 The prince even went as far as to compare Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Adolf Hitler at one point in 2017. —

Jon Gambrell, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2023 The series follows Captain Nemo (played by Shazad Latif) as an Indian prince who is a prisoner of the East India Company. —

Vulture, 29 Aug. 2023 The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry This short, philosophical French novella tells the tale of a young and curious prince from a different planet. —

Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 26 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prince.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin princip-, princeps leader, initiator, from primus first + capere to take — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of prince was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Prince.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prince. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

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Kids Definition

prince

noun

ˈprin(t)s

: monarch sense 1

: a son or grandson of a monarch : a male member of a royal family

: a nobleman of very high rank

: a person of high standing in his class or profession

Etymology

Middle English prince "ruler, king," from early French prince (same meaning), from Latin princip-, princeps "leader, initiator," literally, "one who takes the first part," from primus "first" and capere "to take" — related to prime