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

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

• augustness
• kingliness
• majesty
• stateliness

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

See latest videos, charts and news Enter Laila!, the teenage Brooklyn phenom with rap royalty coursing through her veins. —Angel Diaz, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2024

The company buys and manages precious metal stream and royalty interests. —John Navin, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024

Operators pay a royalty rate to use McDonald’s brand and for access to its expertise. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024

Rachel Bilson's Dating History: From Adam Brody to Bill Hader While launching The O.C. rewatch podcast in 2021, Bilson reflected on her experience dating Brody (who is now married to fellow teen drama royalty Leighton Meester) while filming the teen drama. —Bailey Richards, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024

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

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