royalty

American  

[roi-uhl-tee] / ˈrɔɪ əl ti /

noun

plural

royalties

1. royal persons collectively.

2. royal status, dignity, or power; sovereignty.

   to be elevated to royalty.

3. a person of royal lineage; member of a royal family.

4. Archaic. royalties, prerogatives, rights, or symbolic emblems of a king, queen, or other sovereign.

5. a royal domain; kingdom; realm.

6. character or quality proper to or befitting a sovereign; nobility.

7. the most well-known and admired member or members of a particular field or category.

   Her parents are Hollywood royalty. The brand is royalty among champagnes.

8. a compensation or portion of the proceeds paid to the owner of a right, as a patent or oil or mineral right, for the use of it.

9. an agreed portion of the income from a work paid to its author, composer, etc., usually a percentage of the retail price of each copy sold.

10. a royal right, as over minerals, granted by a sovereign to a person or corporation.

11. the payment made for such a right.

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royalty British  

/ ˈrɔɪəltɪ /

noun

1. the rank, power, or position of a king or queen

2. 1. royal persons collectively

   2. one who belongs to the royal family

3. any quality characteristic of a monarch; kingliness or regal dignity

4. a percentage of the revenue from the sale of a book, performance of a theatrical work, use of a patented invention or of land, etc, paid to the author, inventor, or proprietor

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royalty Cultural  

1. A payment made for some right or privilege, as when a publisher pays a royalty to an author for the author's granting the publisher the right to sell the author's book.

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Other Word Forms

• nonroyalty noun
• preroyalty noun

Etymology

Origin of royalty

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English roialte, from Middle French, Old French roialté, derivative of roial; royal, -ty ²

Example Sentences

It was the centerpiece of a landmark Disney deal, which legitimized artificial intelligence for Hollywood royalty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Shi previously worried about various royalty increases, but noted that Arm was able to positively surprise him with the results of those moves, as there was “little customer backlash.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

Gellar is television royalty, and as such, fans will watch her in just about anything.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

It’s a question that touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of Californians who either live near oil wells or receive royalty checks as mineral rights owners.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026

Even so, being welcomed by the White House and applauded by royalty weren’t enough to open the doors of the most prestigious auditorium in Washington, D.C.—Constitution Hall.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• fee
• payment
• percentage
• portion
• share