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

But there’s one exception: Martin Van Buren — the only U.S. President of pure Dutch stock and with no ancestral connection to a British monarch. —Liz McNeil, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024

Dating back to the 17th century, the Palace of Versailles is one of France’s (if not the world’s) most iconic landmarks—a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located just outside of Paris, that has housed the most infamous monarchs in French history from Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Since ascending to the throne alongside King Charles III, Queen Camilla has looked to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s jewelry vault for sentimental pieces of jewelry to wear on special occasions, honoring the United Kingdom’s longest-reigning monarch. —Julia Teti, WWD, 4 Dec. 2024

The blow may well leave King Charles III extending his apologies to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as the British monarch conducts the early parts of the welcome without his 77-year-old wife. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 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