regent

noun

re·​gent ˈrē-jənt 

1

: a person who governs a kingdom in the minority, absence, or disability of the sovereign

2

: a person who rules or reigns : governor

3

: a member of a governing board (as of a state university)

regent adjective

regental

ˈrē-jən-tᵊl 

adjective

Examples of regent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Billionaire Cody Campbell, chairman of the Texas Tech board of regents, was invited, as was Gerry Cardinale, whose RedBird Capital backs a fund looking to invest in college sports programs. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Mar. 2026

After retiring from his 33-year tenure as regents professor of paleontology at Montana State University in Bozeman, Horner joined Chapman University in 2016 as a lecturer and presidential fellow. —Victoria Le, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026

The $7 billion projection is the brainchild of Cody Campbell, the billionaire head of the board of regents at Texas Tech, who established a nonprofit called Saving College Sports, which is the focal point of the paper’s analysis. —Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026

Jordan Acker, regent of The University of Michigan, agrees that political violence is the new norm. —Julia Avant, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin regent-, regens, from Latin, present participle of regere to direct — more at right

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing regent

• vice-regent

Kids Definition

regent

noun

re·​gent ˈrē-jənt 

1

: a person who governs a kingdom when a monarch is not able to

2

: a member of a governing group (as of a state university)

regent adjective

Etymology

Middle English regent "one who governs," from early French regent or Latin regent-, regens (both, same meaning), from earlier Latin regens, a form of the verb regere "to lead straight, govern, rule" — related to rail entry 1, regulate, rule