throne

[ throhn ]

noun

1. the chair or seat occupied by a sovereign, bishop, or other exalted personage on ceremonial occasions, usually raised on a dais and covered with a canopy.
2. the office or dignity of a sovereign:

   He came to the throne by succession.

3. the occupant of a throne; sovereign.
4. sovereign power or authority:

   to address one's pleas to the throne.

5. an episcopal office or authority:

   the diocesan throne.

6. mourners' bench.
7. thrones, an order of angels. Compare angel ( def 1 ).
8. Facetious. a toilet.

verb (used with or without object)

, throned, thron·ing.

1. to sit on or as on a throne.

throne

/ θrəʊn /

noun

1. the ceremonial seat occupied by a monarch, bishop, etc on occasions of state
2. the power, duties, or rank ascribed to a royal person
3. a person holding royal rank
4. plural; often capital the third of the nine orders into which the angels are traditionally divided in medieval angelology

verb

1. to place or be placed on a throne

Derived Forms

• ˈthroneless, adjective

Other Words From

• throneless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of throne¹

1175–1225; Middle English < Latin thronus < Greek thrónos high seat; replacing Middle English trone < Old French < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of throne¹

C13: from Old French trone, from Latin thronus, from Greek thronos throne

Idioms and Phrases

see power behind the throne .

Example Sentences

Although he has been on the throne for only two years, he is now the sixth longest-living British monarch.

From BBC

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Surge, which welcomes Mr. Trump to his rightful place on the throne!

From Slate

The design of the emblem includes a rosemary wreath - a symbol of remembrance - around the Tudor Crown, which the King adopted when he took the throne.

From BBC

They had feared this outcome ever since this time four years ago, when Trump lost his bid for reelection, loudly claimed that the race was rigged, and started running again to recapture his throne.

From Slate

Led in the U.S. by self-described “monarchists” who actively seek to restore their Bourbon prince to the throne, the Constantinian Order seems to exist above all to keep the lost monarchy alive: allowing a would-be king to exercise his hereditary privilege in a miniature kingdom of loyal subjects, and allowing those he deems worthy to bask in the royal glow.

From Slate