monarch

[ mon-erk, -ahrk ]

noun

1. a hereditary sovereign, as a king, queen, or emperor.
2. a sole and absolute ruler of a state or nation.
3. a person or thing that holds a dominant position:

   a monarch of international shipping.

4. monarch butterfly.

monarch

/ ˈmɒnək; mɒˈnɑːkəl; mɒˈnɑːkɪəl /

noun

1. a sovereign head of state, esp a king, queen, or emperor, who rules usually by hereditary right
2. a supremely powerful or pre-eminent person or thing
3. Also calledmilkweed a large migratory butterfly, Danaus plexippus, that has orange-and-black wings and feeds on the milkweed plant: family Danaidae

Derived Forms

• moˈnarchical, adjective
• ˈmonarchist, nounadjective
• moˈnarchally, adverb
• ˌmonarˈchistic, adjective
• ˈmonarchism, noun
• moˈnarchically, adverb
• monarchal, adjective

Other Words From

• anti·monarch adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of monarch¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French monarche, monarch, from Late Latin monarcha, from Greek mónarchos “sole ruler, monarch”; mon-, -arch

Word History and Origins

Origin of monarch¹

C15: from Late Latin monarcha, from Greek; see mono- , -arch

Example Sentences

He said that King Charles, addressing the Bahraini monarch, had praised him for being “guided by his concern and care for his people.”

From BBC

Supreme Court have ruled that Trump and his successors are de facto monarchs who are, in every meaningful sense, above the law.

From Salon

Most peers are appointed by the monarch on the prime minister's advice.

From BBC

Pennington, for example, characterized slavery as “an institution of the dark age” while critiquing the “monarchs, patriarchs, and prophets of the South.”

From Salon

They struggled to maintain a protective ring around the monarch, as some of the protesters threw mud and objects.

From BBC

Related Words

• emperor
• king
• queen
• sovereign