viceroy

noun

vice·​roy ˈvīs-ˌrȯi How to pronounce viceroy (audio)
1
: the governor of a country or province who rules as the representative of a king or sovereign
2
or viceroy butterfly : a showy North American nymphalid butterfly (Limenitis archippus) closely mimicking the monarch in coloration but smaller

Examples of viceroy in a Sentence

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.
Francis Pym, the Secretary of State for Defence, suggested building a monument to Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India, opposite the Cenotaph instead. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025 Lahore was once known as the city of gardens, a jewel fought over by empires—the Mughals, but also the raiding Mongols, the Sikhs, and the viceroys of the British Raj. Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2024 As the son of a major Presbyterian landowner, Castlereagh was born into the Protestant Ascendancy, which governed the island, in tandem with a British viceroy, through a parliament based in Dublin. Brendan Simms, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2013 Edward Nelson turned his rich baritone to entertainingly overplaying the viceroy turned mayor Don Andrès, pushing his arrogance to a point that once or twice successfully inspired a whit of pity. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for viceroy 

Word History

Etymology

Middle French vice-roi, from vice- + roi king, from Old French rei, roi, from Latin reg-, rex

First Known Use

1524, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of viceroy was in 1524

Dictionary Entries Near viceroy

Cite this Entry

“Viceroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viceroy. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

viceroy

noun
vice·​roy ˈvīs-ˌrȯi How to pronounce viceroy (audio)
1
: the governor of a country or province who represents the sovereign
2
: a black and orange North American butterfly resembling but smaller than the monarch

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