plural royalties
1
: members of a royal family
It was an honor and a privilege to dine with royalty.
On our wedding day, we were treated like royalty.
2
a
: an amount of money that is paid to the original creator of a product, book, or piece of music based on how many copies have been sold
—usually plural
After he died, his family continued to collect royalties on/from his books.
The book has earned $40,000 in royalties.
royalty checks/payments for artists
b
: an amount of money that is paid by a mining or oil company to the owner of the land the company is using
—usually plural
The company pays royalties to the government for drilling rights.
Cite this Entry
“Royalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/royalty. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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