regency

1 of 2

noun

re·​gen·​cy ˈrē-jən(t)-sē 

plural regencies

1

: the office, jurisdiction, or government of a regent or body of regents

2

: a body of regents

3

: the period of rule of a regent or body of regents

Regency

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the styles of George IV's regency as Prince of Wales during the period 1811–20

Examples of regency in a Sentence

Noun

The people supported the regency.

Peace was restored during the regency.

Adjective

an example of Regency furniture

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Styling her light brown hair in a romantic updo with a coronet braid and curly tendrils framing her face, the birthday girl leaned into a regency-era aesthetic with a diaphanous floor-length coat that could be straight out of Bridgerton. —Lara Walsh, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026

Despite the regency era aesthetics seemingly preferred by her husband, Melania seems given to a simpler, sometimes stark style. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 30 Jan. 2026

While Bridgerton takes its own spin on the beloved tale of Cinderella for Season 4, many fans of the Netflix regency show might be wondering if Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha are dating outside of their TV show. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 29 Jan. 2026

Monsoon rains have been hammering the area for the last week, bringing destruction and complicating rescue efforts in six regencies of North Sumatra, according to the Associated Press and Al Jazeera. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1811, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

regency

noun

re·​gen·​cy ˈrē-jən-sē 

plural regencies

1

: the office, authority, or government of a regent or body of regents

2

: the period of rule of a regent or body of regents