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
Wall Street JournalExamples 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
Those close to Harry claimed to the outlet that the monarch no longer takes his son’s calls or responds to his letters.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2025
After being diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in February last year, the monarch has been undergoing treatment and was hospitalized briefly on Thursday due to side effects.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
Others, like Saudi Arabian King Salman, are absolute monarchs and involved in governing the country’s day-to-day activities and policies.
—Shannon Bow O'Brien, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
Some of the reactions appear to confuse membership of the Commonwealth with the Commonwealth Realms, countries around the world that count the British monarch as their head of state, of which there are 14.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for monarch
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Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2025
After being diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in February last year, the monarch has been undergoing treatment and was hospitalized briefly on Thursday due to side effects.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
Others, like Saudi Arabian King Salman, are absolute monarchs and involved in governing the country’s day-to-day activities and policies.
—Shannon Bow O'Brien, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
Some of the reactions appear to confuse membership of the Commonwealth with the Commonwealth Realms, countries around the world that count the British monarch as their head of state, of which there are 14.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for monarch
Cite this Entry
“Monarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarch. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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