royalty

[ roi-uhl-tee ]

noun

, plural roy·al·ties.

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. royalties, Archaic. 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.

royalty

/ 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

royalty

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.

Other Words From

• non·royal·ty noun plural nonroyalties
• pre·royal·ty noun plural preroyalties

Word History and Origins

Origin of royalty¹

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

Example Sentences

Every year it clawed this money back by depositing lower royalty payments - the money it received for every barrel pumped out of the ground - with the Nigerian treasury.

From BBC

It has now become common practice for musicians to assign a share of their royalties to songs that directly inspired them.

From BBC

Another interesting development is the arrival of two freshmen who are part of Los Angeles basketball royalty.

From Los Angeles Times

The pomp and ceremony of royalty doesn’t always sit easily with Prince William, neither does some of the leadership he has seen globally.

From BBC

Decades later, Jones was awarded $9.4 million after a Los Angeles jury determined he’d been shortchanged millions in royalties by Jackson’s estate.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fee
• payment
• percentage
• portion
• share