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

As monarch, Charles last year drew a private income of £27.4 million (around $35 million) from his Duchy of Lancaster property portfolio while William's Duchy of Cornwall brought in £23.6 million (around $30 million). —Jack Royston, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Regardless of his personal views, the King is constrained by his position as a constitutional monarch and must not contradict the U.K. government on political issues. —Simon Perry, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024

The British monarch gave remarks while attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa. —James Redmayne, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024

Charles, 75, is Britain’s first reigning monarch to visit Australia in 13 years. —Hannah Peart, NBC News, 19 Oct. 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