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
The monarch, wearing a red tie and an Order of Canada lapel pin, congratulated Carney on his recent victory.
—Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
Kate Middleton Makes Royal Return to St. Patrick's Day Parade: See All the Best Photos
Princess Kate made a rare outing amid her cancer treatment in June 2024 during Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of the British monarch's birthday.
—Simon Perry, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
About the eastern monarch butterfly Monarch butterfly migration patterns
The two monarch populations can migrate as far as 3,000 miles.
—Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
This year, monarchs covered 4.42 acres, up from 2.22 acres the year before, the survey said.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for monarch
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Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
Kate Middleton Makes Royal Return to St. Patrick's Day Parade: See All the Best Photos
Princess Kate made a rare outing amid her cancer treatment in June 2024 during Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of the British monarch's birthday.
—Simon Perry, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
About the eastern monarch butterfly Monarch butterfly migration patterns
The two monarch populations can migrate as far as 3,000 miles.
—Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
This year, monarchs covered 4.42 acres, up from 2.22 acres the year before, the survey said.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for monarch
Articles Related to monarch
Cite this Entry
“Monarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarch. Accessed 25 Mar. 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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