coronation
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- precoronation noun
- recoronation noun
Etymology
Origin of coronation
1350–1400; Middle English coronacio ( u ) n < Anglo-French coronation < Latin coronāt ( us ) crowned ( see coronate) + Middle French -ion- -ion
Explanation
A coronation is the ceremony when a new King (or Queen, let's not be sexist) is officially installed. A coronation is usually quite glitzy and full of pomp. A coronation is the public handing over of title and powers to a new monarch. Other almost identical terms are enthronement and investiture. The term coronation is also sometimes used in a light-hearted, though sometimes sarcastic way, to describe the ascension of famous non-royal people who have achieved a particular level of public status — such as pop stars, politicians or celebrities. Coronation is derived from the Latin word corona, meaning "crown."
Vocabulary lists containing coronation
25 Words from "Baseball and Black History"
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Queen of the Sea
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"The Prince and the Pauper," Vocabulary from the drama
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s worth noting the S&P index only updates its constituents once a year, in late January, so the stock may have to wait a while longer for its official coronation.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
Last year’s event played more like a coronation for a widely favored front-runner, Sean Baker‘s “Anora.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
The River Avon flows through a green space which was opened in the early 1960s to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026
As the face of Team USA, she had traveled to the Games for a coronation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
The priests there could perform the ancient coronation rites to install Cleopatra as pharaoh.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
