prince

noun

ˈprin(t)s 

1

a

: monarch, king

b

: the ruler of a principality or state

2

: a male member of a royal family

especially : a son of the sovereign

3

: a nobleman of varying rank and status

4

: one likened to a prince

especially : a man of high rank or of high standing in his class or profession

princeship

ˈprin(t)s-ˌship 

noun

Synonyms

• baron
• captain
• czar
• tsar
• tzar
• king
• lion
• lord
• magnate
• mogul
• monarch
• Napoleon
• tycoon

Examples of prince in a Sentence

a neighborhood in which the city's merchant princes built palaces that shamelessly celebrated their wealth

Recent Examples on the Web

Once the crown prince of Rome, he was forced to flee at age 12 for his safety, and is now a humble farmer in Numidia, North Africa. —Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024

This marks a stark reversal from when the crown prince, during the first Trump administration, was eager to broker the Trump peace plan and pressed the Palestinians for concessions. —Fatima Abdulkarim, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Nov. 2024

One of the great things about the prince is really manages to put people at ease very quickly. —Simon Perry, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024

Further complicating matters is the arrival of Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey), an airhead good-time prince who has been kicked out of several schools and is now trying his luck at Shiz. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin princip-, princeps leader, initiator, from primus first + capere to take — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing prince

• crown prince
• prince consort
• prince's feather

Kids Definition

prince

noun

ˈprin(t)s 

1

: monarch sense 1

2

: a son or grandson of a monarch : a male member of a royal family

3

: a nobleman of very high rank

4

: a person of high standing in his class or profession

Etymology

Middle English prince "ruler, king," from early French prince (same meaning), from Latin princip-, princeps "leader, initiator," literally, "one who takes the first part," from primus "first" and capere "to take" — related to prime