royal

adjective

roy·al | \ˈrȯi(-ə)l

Definition of royal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : of kingly ancestry the royal family

b : of, relating to, or subject to the crown the royal estates

c : being in the crown's service Royal Air Force

2a : suitable for royalty : magnificent

b : requiring no exertion : easy there is no royal road to logic— Justus Buchler

3a : of superior size, magnitude, or quality a patronage of royal dimensions— J. H. Plumb —often used as an intensive a royal pain

b : established or chartered by the crown

4 : of, relating to, or being a part (such as a mast, sail, or yard) next above the topgallant

royal

noun

Definition of royal (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a person of royal blood

2 : a small sail on the royal mast immediately above the topgallant sail

3 : a stag of 8 years or more having antlers with at least 12 points

Other Words from royal Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about royal

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Examples of royal in a Sentence

Adjective

They received a royal welcome as they stepped off the plane. the school superintendent received a royal welcome

Noun

magazine stories about the private lives of royals

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The actress, then romantically linked with Prince Andrew, would give ITT influence with the British royal family, Ms. Davis said. — James R. Hagerty, WSJ, "Evelyn Y. Davis Would Have Wanted a Bigger Headline on This Obituary," 9 Nov. 2018 And by framing this as an attempt to help the Saudi people — no matter his frustrations with its unelected royal family — Son is belatedly trying to claim some moral high ground. — Theodore Schleifer, Recode, "Masayoshi Son finally spoke about the murder of a Saudi Arabian dissident.," 5 Nov. 2018 According to the Daily Mail, the queen has personally invited Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, to join the royal family for their traditional holiday celebrations in Sandringham. — Stacey Leasca, Glamour, "The Queen Has Reportedly Invited Meghan Markle's Mother to Spend Christmas With the Royals," 4 Nov. 2018 Newest member of the royal family Meghan Markle quickly showed her support for the cause after marrying Harry in May 2018. — Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, "Kate Middleton Wore a Gray Blazer and Black Jeans to Visit Coach Core," 30 Oct. 2018 Now that Meghan is a member of the royal family, her life is extremely different, but as Scobie's tweet proves, the Duchess still makes time for all of her fans. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle Was so Surprised to Reunite with Someone Special on the Royal Tour in New Zealand," 30 Oct. 2018 When you're born into the royal family, things are naturally...different. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Will Meghan Markle And Prince Harry’s Baby Be Born At Home? Plus, Other Bizarre Royal Birthing Rules," 15 Oct. 2018 Khashoggi, who was considered close to the Saudi royal family, had become a critic of the current government and Prince Mohammed, the 33-year-old heir apparent who has shown little tolerance for criticism. — Fox News, "Newspaper says Turkey has audio of Saudi writer's slaying," 14 Oct. 2018 When foreign dignitaries interact with the the royal family, traditional etiquette and deference are considered especially important. — Meagan Fredette, refinery29.com, "Trump Ends Tumultuous U.K. Visit With A Breach In Royal Protocol," 14 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The royal made their first official appearance together at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Will Celebrate a Major Milestone at the 2018 Invictus Games," 19 Oct. 2018 Saudi Arabia long has faced allegations of capturing and sending rambunctious royals and dissidents back to the country by private jet. — Suzan Fraser, The Seattle Times, "Turkey seeks answers from Saudi Arabia on missing journalist," 8 Oct. 2018 Two British icons are working on something exciting — and neither of them are royals. — Sarah Spellings, The Cut, "Burberry Is Collaborating With Vivienne Westwood," 6 July 2018 Also detained is a senior royal, Prince Turki bin Abdullah, who served as governor of Riyadh and is a son of the previous monarch, King Abdullah. — Summer Said, WSJ, "Saudi Arabia Still Detaining Dozens From Corruption Crackdown," 4 July 2018 Although, Meghan and Harry aren’t the only royals who’ve taken cues from the Queen, who is rarely seen holding hands with her husband, Prince Philip, in public. — refinery29.com, "Meghan & Harry Keep Breaking This Royal Rule, But Not In Front Of The Queen," 4 July 2018 The royal, now 33, made a silly face out the car window after a visit to the hospital when his cousin, Princess Beatrice, was born in 1988. — Erin Hill, PEOPLE.com, "Prince Harry Was the First Naughty Royal to Pull a Stunt on the Palace Balcony Almost 30 Years Ago," 12 June 2018 Don't go overboard -- getting hammered in the middle of the day is extremely un-royal. — Aj Willingham, Cnn Design: Megan Pendergrass, CNN, "How to throw one helluva (proper) Royal Wedding party," 2 May 2018 While Harry and Meghan's names are still buzzing in the headlines, Jessie J looked like a royal herself during her appearance on Thursday's (May 22) episode of The Late Late Show With James Corden. — Abby Jones, Billboard, "Jessie J Recruits Royal Girl Squad For 'Queen' Performance on 'Late Late Show': Watch," 25 May 2018

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