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

The fourth season of Bridgerton (based on the third book) is basically a retelling of Cinderella with Benedict as the prince. —Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026

The protests are also unique for often invoking Pahlavi as the alternative to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a role the crown prince has embraced. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2026

Per Architectural Digest, another of the ship’s staircases could be converted into a water slide for the young princes and princess to use. —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026

The prince called on the people of Iran to demonstrate on Thursday night and renewed his call for more protests on Friday night. —Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 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