privy purse

noun

: an allowance for the private expenses of the British sovereign

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Thousands of members of the military from across Queen Elizabeth II's realm and people in her household with ancient roles like keeper of the privy purse and master of the horse escorted her coffin past Buckingham Palace and up Constitution Hill. WSJ, 19 Sep. 2022 Behind them, members of the queen’s household, including her private secretary and keeper of the privy purse, walked in a final gesture of service. Mark Landler, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Sep. 2022 That wealth used to belong to the Crown—the institution, not the ruler—but Vajiralongkorn took control of the privy purse in 2018. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2020 And up until 1971, the former royal families were paid a privy purse -- compensation from the central government for their loss of status. Esha Mitra And Julia Hollingsworth, CNN, 7 Aug. 2020

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

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of privy purse was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near privy purse

Cite this Entry

“Privy purse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privy%20purse. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2

  • a pencil broken in half on top of a test answer sheet
  • The business’s new computer system proved not to be a panacea.
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY