monarch

noun

mon·​arch ˈmä-nərk 

-ˌnärk

1

: a person who reigns over a kingdom or empire: such as

a

: a sovereign ruler

b

: a constitutional (see constitutional entry 1 sense 3) king or queen

2

: one that holds preeminent position or power

cotton, monarch of the textile world

—Wall Street Journal

3

: monarch butterfly

monarchal

mə-ˈnär-kəl 

mä-

adjective

or monarchial

mə-ˈnär-kē-əl 

mä-

Synonyms

• autocrat
• potentate
• ruler
• sovereign
• sovran

Examples of monarch in a Sentence

a new history of French monarchs

the ruling monarch of Britain at that time was Queen Elizabeth I

Recent Examples on the Web

Experts say the proposal could put serious weight behind ongoing monarch conservation efforts across Arizona, perhaps the only state that hosts butterflies from three of North America’s regional monarch populations. —Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 12 Dec. 2024

Droughts, frost and heat across the continent are killing milkweed, the monarchs’ food source, and destroying their habitat. —Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024

The monarch died in 2022 after 70 years on the throne and was known for her no nonsense approach to life. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024

Popular on Variety Shivaji (1630-1680), who hailed from the Hindu religion, founded the Maratha empire when most of India was under the rule of Muslim monarchs, winning his territories using a mixture of military moves and strategic nous. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin monarcha, from Greek monarchos, from mon- + -archos -arch

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing monarch

• monarch butterfly

Kids Definition

monarch

noun

mon·​arch ˈmän-ərk 

-ˌärk

1

: a person who reigns over a kingdom or empire: as

a

: a ruler who has total power

absolute monarch

b

: someone who acts primarily as chief of state and who has only limited powers

constitutional monarch

2

: someone or something like a monarch

the oak is the monarch of the forest

3

: monarch butterfly

monarchal

mə-ˈnär-kəl 

mä-

adjective

or monarchial

-kē-əl