prince

noun

ˈprin(t)s 

1

a

: monarch, king

b

: the ruler of a principality or state

2

: a male member of a royal family

especially : a son of the sovereign

3

: a nobleman of varying rank and status

4

: 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

Synonyms of prince

• tycoon
• magnate
• king
• lord
• monarch
• baron
• lion
• czar

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

Jack Huston plays Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur, who is betrayed to the Romans by his adopted brother, Messala (Toby Kebbell), and sold into slavery and then returns years to Jerusalem seeking revenge. —David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Feb. 2026

The Trial of Seven is about to commence — a clash of mud, blood, and iron before a roaring crowd to determine the fate of the aspiring knight that dared to defend a lowly stage performer from a rampaging Targaryen prince. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026

Spare princes need something to do. —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026

Chris Jackson / Getty Images And he will also have been given guidance on his fellow prince, who unlike William is not part of a constitutional monarchy answerable to lawmakers and open to criticism from an often boisterous free press. —Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026

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

Phrases Containing prince

• crown prince
• prince consort
• prince's feather

Rhymes for prince

• mince
• quince
• rinse
• since
• wince
• convince
• evince

Kids Definition

prince

noun

ˈprin(t)s 

1

: monarch sense 1

2

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

3

: a nobleman of very high rank

4

: 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