monarch butterfly

noun

: a large migratory American butterfly (Danaus plexippus) that has orange-brown wings with black veins and borders and a larva that feeds on milkweed

Illustration of monarch butterfly

Illustration of monarch butterfly

Examples of monarch butterfly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The plight of the monarch butterfly is an opportunity to seriously reexamine the role of pesticides in biodiversity loss. Sharmeen Morrison, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2025 For generations, monarch butterflies have traveled thousands of miles across North America in remarkable, long-distance migrations. Gayoung Lee, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2024 Report monarch butterfly sightings JourneyNorth is encouraging people to report monarch sightings on its website. Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 10 Dec. 2024 The Biden administration is proposing protections for the monarch butterfly – though the protections face an uncertain future in the incoming Trump administration. Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for monarch butterfly 

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of monarch butterfly was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near monarch butterfly

Cite this Entry

“Monarch butterfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarch%20butterfly. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

monarch butterfly

noun
: a large orange and black American butterfly that migrates in large numbers in the spring and fall and whose larva feeds on milkweed

More from Merriam-Webster on monarch butterfly

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