scepter

1 of 2

noun

scep·​ter ˈsep-tər 

1

: a staff or baton borne by a sovereign as an emblem of authority

2

: royal or imperial authority : sovereignty

Illustration of scepter

• scepter 1

scepter

2 of 2

verb

sceptered; sceptering ˈsep-t(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

: to invest with the scepter in token of royal authority

Examples of scepter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the crypts of a Lithuanian cathedral, researchers have discovered a trove of royal treasure: crowns, jewelry and a scepter that belonged to several Lithuanian-Polish monarchs from the 15th and 16th centuries. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025

Nick Saban owned Kirby Smart, but the SEC’s scepter passed to Smart’s hands after Saban retired. —Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

Verb

People file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and scepter, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall on Sept. 15, 2022, in London. —Patrick Smith, NBC News, 15 Sep. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sceptre, from Anglo-French septre, from Latin sceptrum, from Greek skēptron staff, scepter, from skēptesthai to prop oneself — more at shaft

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1526, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

scepter

noun

scep·​ter

ˈsep-tər

1

: a baton carried by a ruler as an emblem of authority

2

: authority of an empire or a ruler : sovereignty

sceptered

-tərd

adjective