princely

play

adjective prince·ly \ ˈprin(t)s-lē \

Definition of princely

princelier; princeliest

1 :of or relating to a prince :royal

2 :befitting a prince :noble, magnificent

princely manners

a princely sum

3 :governed by a prince

a princely state

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princely

adverb

See princely defined for English-language learners

See princely defined for kids

Examples of princely in a Sentence

a display of princely courtesy
set a princely meal before their guests

Recent Examples of princely from the Web

Three years later, India was free from British colonial rule, and more than 500 princely states — the semi-sovereign principalities ruled by royal clans — faced an uncertain future.

— Washington Post, "7 decades into Indian democracy, a royal palace thrives," 8 Aug. 2017
When India gained independence in 1947, more than 500 princely states — the semi-sovereign principalities ruled by royal clans — faced an uncertain future.

— vineeta deepak, The Seattle Times, "7 decades into Indian democracy, a royal palace thrives," 7 Aug. 2017
On the first half of Thursday night's program, festival co-director and clarinetist Franklin Cohen led a fine performance of Weber's elegant and decorous Clarinet Quintet in B-flat, a princely work that seeks only to delight.

— special to the plain dealer, cleveland.com, "ChamberFest Cleveland leaves deep impression with Shostakovich in rare transcription (review)," 30 June 2017
Qatar appeared to have brokered the deal by communicating with Iran, which in return managed to secure the release of 26 Qataris royals kidnapped in Iraq in return for a princely sum to be paid to Iranian client militia Kataib Hezbollah.

— michael stephens, Washington Post, "Why key Arab countries have cut ties with Qatar — and what Trump had to do with it," 7 June 2017
It’s hard to see the benefit of Obama speaking at a Wall Street firm’s health-care conference for the princely sum of $400,000.

— dominic tierney, The Atlantic, "Obama Faces the Ex-President's Dilemma," 9 May 2017
Here was an infinitely more alluring model of princely purpose and prerogative.

— zoë heller, The New Yorker, "Where Prince Charles Went Wrong," 31 Mar. 2017
And then there was that princely posture, the graceful pivots and charged pauses that gave second thoughts and moments of silence a kinetic emphasis.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Sidney Poitier, 1967, and One of the Most Remarkable Runs in Hollywood History," 1 Feb. 2017
The abstainer from wealth, who hid in the toilet to avoid the company of princely visitors.

— azadeh moaveni, New York Times, "How Did Rumi Become One of Our Best-Selling Poets?," 20 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'princely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.