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 cultured prince ran in Paris's academic, scientific and artistic circles, and hosted many a lively gathering at his palace—a tradition of hospitality that was revived in 2010, with the opening of the Shangri-La Paris. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026

Ever since, the former prince has been keeping out of the public eye. —Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 2 June 2026

Galitzine stars as Adam, a prince of the realm of Eternia, where pretty much everybody looks jacked. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 June 2026

Lee and her team visited Bahrain in 2023 to meet with the crown prince and prime minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, finance minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and the then-governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj. —Angelica Ang, Fortune, 1 June 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