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

• baron
• captain
• czar
• tsar
• tzar
• king
• lion
• lord
• magnate
• mogul
• monarch
• Napoleon
• tycoon

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

Take a look → Mysterious wooden train car — almost 100 years old — unearthed in Belgium, photos show Weighing nearly 30 grams with a diameter of 4 centimeters, the coin had the depictions of two princes on each side, the museum said. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024

Just give it a prince, and gather it in a ball larger than 2 inches in circumference. —Dana Oland, Idaho Statesman, 8 Apr. 2024

Turki was one of several princes detained in November 2017 by Saudi Arabia’s defacto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, and his current whereabouts are unclear. —Hugo Miller, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024

The prince was heading to Westminster Abbey for the annual Commonwealth Day service. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024

The Prince and Princess of Wales' youngest son will turn 6 on April 23, and The Sunday Times reported that the royal couple is expected to continue their tradition by sharing a new portrait of the young prince in celebration of the occasion. —Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024

The Biden has administration has resisted calls for the prince’s visa application to be made public. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024

Everyone from princes in Spain to nobles in Vienna to leading Renaissance figures in Italy knew about St. Patrick’s Purgatory. —Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024

After three minutes of ruminating on the pressure and early promises of fame — the money, cars, and alcohol that flowed to him as a reigning pop prince — Timberlake starts rapping. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024

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

• prince consort
• crown prince
• prince's feather

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