regalia

plural noun

re·​ga·​lia ri-ˈgāl-yə How to pronounce regalia (audio)
1
: royal rights or prerogatives
2
a
: the emblems, symbols, or paraphernalia indicative of royalty
b
: decorations or insignia indicative of an office or membership
3
: special dress
especially : finery

Did you know?

Just as regal describes a king or queen—that is, a ruler—regalia originally meant the things, and especially the dress and decoration, that belong exclusively to a monarch. The British monarchy's regalia include the crown jewels (crown, scepter, orb, sword, etc.) that lend luster to royal coronations. Academic regalia—the caps, gowns, and hoods worn by students receiving their degrees—link institutions to their past by preserving the dress worn at universities since their beginnings in the Middle Ages, when long hooded robes were needed for warmth.

Examples of regalia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The annual Forces of Fashion conference has taken over Vogue’s offices at One World Trade Center, where the building is teeming with FoF regalia. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2023 As another special touch, some pieces from Louis’s traditional dance regalia—like the beaded moccasins—were added to some of the looks, too. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2023 It's also been a busy week for King Charles and Queen Camilla, who sported royal regalia on Tuesday at the first State Opening of Parliament of the new reign. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023 The king, dressed in full royal regalia and joined by Queen Camilla, read out a speech drafted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak outlining the Conservative Party's agenda. Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 7 Nov. 2023 The show opened with the night’s MC, Drag Race winner and comedian Bob the Drag Queen, dressed in full Madonna-as-Marie-Antoinette regalia. Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2023 While Prince Christian and Princess Ingrid Alexandra matched in their Order of the Elephant regalia, a close look at the photo shows that Princess Catharina-Amalia and Princess Elisabeth wore their sashes the opposite way. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 17 Oct. 2023 This summer, concert and moviegoers showed up in themed regalia. TIME, 17 Oct. 2023 The birthday gala came with a glamorous dress code, and Prince Christian completed his white tie ensemble with his new Order of the Elephant regalia. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'regalia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, from Latin, neuter plural of regalis

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of regalia was circa 1540

Dictionary Entries Near regalia

Cite this Entry

“Regalia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regalia. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

regalia

noun singular or plural
re·​ga·​lia ri-ˈgāl-yə How to pronounce regalia (audio)
1
: the emblems and symbols (as the crown) of royalty
2
: the emblem of an office or association
3
: special dress : finery

More from Merriam-Webster on regalia

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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