king

noun

ˈkiŋ 

1

a

: a male monarch of a major territorial unit

especially : one whose position is hereditary and who rules for life

b

: a paramount chief

2

King : god, christ

… to worship the King, the Lord of hosts …

—Zechariah 14:16 (Revised Standard Version)

3

: one that holds a preeminent position

especially : a chief among competitors

… the cattle kings rode up from the south …

—Alan Moorehead

even if no longer king, cotton remains the chief cash crop

—Howell Walker

4

: the principal piece of each color in chess having the power to move ordinarily one square in any direction and to capture opposing pieces but being obliged never to enter or remain in check

5

: a playing card marked with a stylized figure of a king

6

: a checker that has been crowned

7

: chinook salmon

Synonyms of king

• magnate
• tycoon
• prince
• lord
• monarch
• czar
• baron
• lion

Examples of king in a Sentence

He pledged his loyalty to the king and queen.

the reign of King James

He became king at a young age.

He's widely regarded as the king of soul music.

He was voted king of the prom.

The lion is known as the king of the jungle.

She won the game by checkmating his king.

Recent Examples on the Web

All 150 king rooms have private terraces, with pale woods and décor in cool taupe shades, while some of the suites have plunge pools, private gardens or two bedrooms. — Siobhan Grogan, TheWeek, 12 Oct. 2026

Dinner is an event at Pellico 3, the hotel’s gastronomy project, reconceptualised in 2022 and conducted by executive chef Guido Paternollo, who has worked under haute cuisine kings Enrico Bartolini and Alain Ducasse. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026

Though a shakeup in the midterms might well mess with the routines of loyal Trump appointees like Patel, on this night, chugging beers on the rooftop at the rink, Kash was king. — Richie McGinniss, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026

Those dolled up in dirndls and lederhosen can participate in the Oktoberfest celebration’s annual Bavarian costume contest to be named king and queen of the event. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English cyning; akin to Old High German kuning king, Old English cynn kin

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing king

• Alaskan king crab
• drag king
• fit for a king
• king cake
• king cobra
• king crab
• king mackerel
• king of arms
• king penguin
• king post
• king salmon
• king's evil
• king-size
• king-sized
• king snake
• king's ransom
• à la king
• scarlet king snake
• sea king
• turn king's evidence

Rhymes for king

• bing
• bring
• ching
• cling
• ding
• fling
• ging
• hing
• jing
• kling
• ling
• ming

Kids Definition

king

noun

ˈkiŋ 

1

: a male ruler of a country who usually inherits his position and rules for life

2

: a chief among competitors

an oil king

3

: the chief piece in the game of chess

4

: a playing card bearing the figure of a king

5

: a piece in the game of checkers that has reached the opponent's back row and has been crowned

Biographical Definition

King 1 of 8

biographical name (1)

ˈkiŋ 

B. B. 1925–2015 originally Riley B. King American blues musician

King

2 of 8

biographical name (2)

Billie Jean 1943–     née Moffitt American tennis player

King

3 of 8

biographical name (3)

Ernest Joseph 1878–1956 American admiral

King

4 of 8

biographical name (4)

Martin Luther, Jr. 1929–1968 American clergyman and civil rights leader

King

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biographical name (5)

Rufus 1755–1827 American politician and diplomat

King

6 of 8

biographical name (6)

Stephen (Edwin) 1947–     American writer

King

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biographical name (7)

William Lyon Mackenzie 1874–1950 Canadian statesman; prime minister (1921–26; 1926–30; 1935–48)

King

8 of 8

biographical name (8)

William Rufus de Vane 1786–1853 American politician; vice president of the U.S. (1853)