kingdom

noun

king·​dom ˈkiŋ-dəm 

1

: a politically organized community or major territorial unit having a monarchical form of government headed by a king or queen

2

often capitalized

a

: the eternal kingship of God

b

: the realm in which God's will is fulfilled

3

a

: a realm or region in which something is dominant

a cattle kingdom

b

: an area or sphere in which one holds a preeminent position

The office was his own private kingdom.

4

a

: one of the three primary divisions into which natural objects are commonly classified compare animal kingdom, mineral kingdom, plant kingdom

b

: a major category (such as Plantae or Protista) in biological taxonomy that ranks above the phylum and below the domain

5

archaic : kingship

Synonyms

• area
• arena
• bailiwick
• barony
• business
• circle
• demesne
• department
• discipline
• domain
• element
• fief
• fiefdom
• field
• firmament
• front
• game
• line
• precinct
• province
• realm
• specialty
• sphere
• terrain
• walk

Examples of kingdom in a Sentence

After Queen Mary I died, her half sister Elizabeth ruled the kingdom.

a studio head who was once the undisputed ruler of the kingdom of Hollywood

Recent Examples on the Web

With the kingdom heavily reliant on migrant labor to build its World Cup infrastructure, international rights organizations are warning that the lessons from Qatar's 2022 World Cup have not been learned. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

Sports as a tool for change in Saudi Arabia Under the crown prince, the kingdom has spent billions of dollars to build up tourism and sports, part of a wider effort to boost foreign investment and revamp the economy away from oil, though energy revenues remain at the heart of this transformation. —Aya Batrawy, NPR, 11 Dec. 2024

This documentary borrows its name from the former West African kingdom of Dahomey, founded in the 17th century by King Houegbadja. —Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024

All seems well as Helm convenes a meeting of Rohan’s great houses meant to map out a plan for the kingdom’s future. —Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing kingdom

• animal kingdom
• kingdom come
• mineral kingdom
• plant kingdom
• to kingdom come

Kids Definition

kingdom

noun

king·​dom ˈkiŋ-dəm 

1

: a country whose ruler is a king or queen

2

: a region in which something or someone has very strong influence

the cotton kingdom

3

a

: one of the three primary divisions into which natural objects are classified compare animal kingdom, mineral kingdom, plant kingdom

b

: a major category in the scientific classification of living things that ranks above the phylum and below the domain

Medical Definition

kingdom

noun

king·​dom ˈkiŋ-dəm 

1

: any of the three primary divisions into which natural objects are grouped see animal kingdom, mineral kingdom, plant kingdom

2

: a major category (as Protista) in biological taxonomy that ranks above the phylum and below the domain