royalty

noun

roy·​al·​ty ˈrȯi(-ə)l-tē 

plural royalties

1

a

: royal status or power : sovereignty

b

: a right or perquisite of a sovereign (such as a percentage paid to the crown of gold or silver taken from mines)

2

: regal character or bearing : nobility

3

a

: persons of royal lineage

dined with royalty

On our wedding day, we were treatedlike royalty.

b

: a person of royal rank

… how to address royalties …

—George Santayana

c

: an elite class

4

: a right of jurisdiction granted to an individual or corporation by a sovereign

5

a

: a share of the product or profit reserved by the grantor especially of an oil or mining lease

b

: a payment to an author or composer for each copy of a work sold or to an inventor for each item sold under a patent

Synonyms of royalty

• majesty
• nobility
• dignity

Examples of royalty in a Sentence

It was an honor and a privilege to dine with royalty.

On our wedding day, we were treated like royalty.

Recent Examples on the Web

And that will spin off tremendous royalties for the people of Venezuela, to benefit the people of that country, not the handful of people at the top, but the people. —ABC News, 4 Jan. 2026

The Critics Choice Awards 2026 red carpet is well underway, and Hollywood royalty Alicia Silverstone just arrived to show everyone how it's done. —Christina Perrier, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026

Each is designed to be opulent yet cozy, with décor hinting at the Portuguese royalty that inspired it, so expect antique furniture, high ceilings, plush velvet headboards, oversized chandeliers, and, in some cases, freestanding bathtubs placed strategically alongside the windows. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Jan. 2026

Check out the royalty in both line-ups. —The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English roialte, from Anglo-French realté, roialté, from real

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing royalty

• like royalty

Rhymes for royalty

• loyalty
• disloyalty
• viceroyalty

Kids Definition

royalty

noun

roy·​al·​ty ˈrȯi(-ə)l-tē 

plural royalties

1

: royal status or power

2

: royal character or conduct

3

: members of a royal family

4

a

: a share of a product or profit (as of a mine) claimed by the owner for allowing another to use the property

b

: a payment made to the owner of a patent or copyright for the use of it

Legal Definition

royalty

noun

roy·​al·​ty

plural royalties

1

: a right delegated (as to an individual or corporation) by a sovereign

2

a

: a share of the profit or product reserved by the grantor especially of an oil or mineral lease compare overriding royalty

b

: a payment made to an author or composer for each copy of a work sold or to an inventor for each article sold under a patent