prince

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

princeship

2 of 2

noun (2)

prince·​ship ˈprin(t)sˌship 

-nˌsh-

1

: the dignity or position of a prince

2

: the period during which a prince (as an heir apparent) is such

Synonyms of prince

Noun (1)

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

Examples of prince in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a neighborhood in which the city's merchant princes built palaces that shamelessly celebrated their wealth

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In October 2026, the disgraced ex-prince filed a lawsuit against the Thames Valley Police, who arrested him and searched his homes on his birthday. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 6 Oct. 2026

The former prince will have to finance proceedings on his own, said The Times. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 6 Oct. 2026

The Daily Telegraph previously reported that Mountbatten-Windsor had asked the court to determine whether Thames Valley Police acted lawfully in searching the former prince’s homes near Windsor Castle and on King Charles III’s Sandringham estate. — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

The Daily Telegraph previously reported that Mountbatten-Windsor had asked the court to determine whether Thames Valley Police acted lawfully in searching the former prince's homes near Windsor Castle and on King Charles III's Sandringham estate. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin princip-, princeps leader, initiator, from primus first + capere to take — more at heave entry 1

Noun (2)

prince + -ship

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Noun

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