monarch

noun

mon·​arch ˈmä-nərk How to pronounce monarch (audio)
-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 worldWall Street Journal
3
monarchal adjective
or monarchial

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
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.
Depending on the documentation, the monarch only ruled over ancient Egypt for 13 years (1493-1479 BCE) at most, and possibly as little as three (1482-1479 BCE). Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Feb. 2025 Various monarchs of the Russian Empire repeatedly tried to conquer Finland. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025 And that could disturb the delicate balance that the monarch tries to maintain between guarding distinct Jordanian interests while standing with his citizens of Palestinian origin or descent and also supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025 Because speaking of vivacity, and of big fat fibbers, Henry IV’s titular monarch is hardly the only reigning energy in the play. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for monarch

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of monarch was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Monarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarch. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

monarch

noun
mon·​arch ˈmän-ərk How to pronounce monarch (audio)
-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
monarchal adjective
or monarchial

More from Merriam-Webster on monarch

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