viceroy

noun

vice·​roy ˈvīs-ˌrȯi How to pronounce viceroy (audio)
1
: the governor of a country or province who rules as the representative of a king or sovereign
2
or viceroy butterfly : a showy North American nymphalid butterfly (Limenitis archippus) closely mimicking the monarch in coloration but smaller

Examples of viceroy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Will the Russian viceroy protect Hadji Murat’s family? Elif Batuman, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2023 His uncle Lord Mountbatten, a celebrated commander during World War II who later served as the last viceroy of India, overseeing its partition and transition to independence, was killed after a bomb exploded on his fishing boat off the coast of Ireland. BostonGlobe.com, 18 Apr. 2021 For example, the scarlet king snake mimics the venomous coral snake, while the viceroy butterfly mimics the monarch butterfly, which is poisonous. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2023 Mountbatten was the last viceroy of India. Peter Bergen, CNN, 25 Sep. 2022 Where are the viceroy butterflies? Washington Post, 22 July 2021 Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last viceroy of British India, advanced that date to August 1947). From Cnn Opinion, CNN, 13 Aug. 2022 In 1863, the viceroy of Egypt, Isma’il Pasha, ordered up a steel leviathan called El Mahrousa, which was the world’s longest yacht for a remarkable hundred and nineteen years, until the title was claimed by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 It was invoiced in 1912 to Kramer, Longines’ only agent in Egypt and provider to the last Khedive (Ottoman viceroy) of Egypt and Sudan, Abbas II of Egypt. Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 3 July 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'viceroy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French vice-roi, from vice- + roi king, from Old French rei, roi, from Latin reg-, rex

First Known Use

1524, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of viceroy was in 1524

Dictionary Entries Near viceroy

Cite this Entry

“Viceroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viceroy. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

viceroy

noun
vice·​roy ˈvīs-ˌrȯi How to pronounce viceroy (audio)
1
: the governor of a country or province who represents the sovereign
2
: a black and orange North American butterfly resembling but smaller than the monarch

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