principality

noun prin·ci·pal·i·ty \ ˌprin(t)-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē \

Definition of principality

plural principalities

1 a :the state, office, or authority of a prince

b :the position or responsibilities of a principal (as of a school)

2 :the territory or jurisdiction of a prince :the country that gives title to a prince

3 principalities plural :an order of angels — see celestial hierarchy

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Recent Examples of principality from the Web

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
So at the last moment, with encouragement from her children, Stéphanie offered Baby and Nepal a royal reprieve and a place to live — in her brother’s backyard — on a mountaintop above the Principality of Monaco.

— peter mikelbank, PEOPLE.com, "Prince Albert on His Surprising Neighbors — Sister Princess Stéphanie’s Elephants!: ‘She Takes Great Care of Them’," 28 July 2017
Shoehorned between Spain and France, the tiny, landlocked principality of Andorra is draped over 180 square miles of the Pyrenees mountains.

— erik johnson, Car and Driver, "2018 Audi RS5 Coupe," 28 June 2017
Shoehorned between Spain and France, the tiny, landlocked principality of Andorra is draped over 180 square miles of the Pyrenees mountains.

— erik johnson, Car and Driver, "2018 Audi RS5 Coupe," 26 June 2017
The race around the Principality was dominated by Ferrari, but Vettel, who currently leads Hamilton by 25 points in the F1 Drivers' Championship, will do well to repel what appears to be a resurgent Mercedes team.

— matthew knight, CNN, "F1: Lewis Hamilton matches Ayrton Senna with blistering Canada pole lap," 10 June 2017
Higuain netted twice in the 2-0 first leg victory in the principality, doubling his tally from 24 previous matches in the knockout stages.

— ap, USA TODAY, "Juventus' campaign in the Champions League," 3 June 2017
Finnish veteran Raikkonen pipped his teammate Vettel for top spot on the grid, but Hamilton failed to make the top-10 shootout and will start from 13th with little prospect of repeating his victory of 2016 in the principality.

— CNN, "Monaco GP: Kimi Raikkonen on pole as Lewis Hamilton slips up," 27 May 2017
Forced to reinvent himself, von Steuben spent 11 years as court chamberlain in Hohenzollern-Hechingen, a tiny German principality.

— erick trickey, Smithsonian, "The Prussian Nobleman Who Helped Save the American Revolution," 26 Apr. 2017

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

First Known Use of principality

14th century

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

PRINCIPALITY Defined for English Language Learners

principality

noun

Definition of principality for English Language Learners

: a small area or country that is ruled by a prince

PRINCIPALITY Defined for Kids

principality

noun prin·ci·pal·i·ty \ ˌprin-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē \

Definition of principality for Students

plural principalities

:a small territory that is ruled by a prince

the principality of Monaco

Learn More about principality

See words that rhyme with principality Spanish Central: Translation of principality Nglish: Translation of principality for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of principality for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about principality

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principality

Definition of principality for English Language Learners

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principality

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