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

The monarch, 75, is Hugh's godfather and was present at his christening in 1991. —Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024

In 1653, the French artist Sébastien Bourdon painted the Swedish monarch Christina in a languid black silk dress layered over a white linen shirt, tied at the collar in a style commonly worn by men. —Colleen Hamilton, New York Times, 4 June 2024

The steps honor Queen Victoria, the Britain monarch who reigned from 1837 to 1901 and who abolished slavery in the British colonies. —Amy Bentley, Orange County Register, 29 May 2024

However, on paper, the monarch does still hold the power to prevent laws from being passed, prevent elections from being called, and oversee many other formalities within the British government. —Anna Gordon, TIME, 24 May 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