king

noun

1
a
: a male monarch of a major territorial unit
especially : one whose position is hereditary and who rules for life
b
: a paramount chief
2
capitalized : god, christ
… to worship the King, the Lord of hosts …Zechariah 14:16 (Revised Standard Version)
3
: one that holds a preeminent position
especially : a chief among competitors
the cattle kings rode up from the south Alan Moorehead
even if no longer king, cotton remains the chief cash crop Howell Walker
4
: the principal piece of each color in chess having the power to move ordinarily one square in any direction and to capture opposing pieces but being obliged never to enter or remain in check
5
: a playing card marked with a stylized figure of a king
6
: a checker that has been crowned
7

Examples of king in a Sentence

He pledged his loyalty to the king and queen. the reign of King James He became king at a young age. He's widely regarded as the king of soul music. He was voted king of the prom. The lion is known as the king of the jungle. She won the game by checkmating his king.
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.
Kirby Smart is now the clear king of SEC football coaches and probably No. 1 in the nation. Marc Weiszer, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024 Without a son to inherit the king’s throne, the five tribes across the land fiercely battle for power. Marc Berman, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 Facebook, once the king of social media sites for teens, is now used by just around a third of teens. Cory Smith, Baltimore Sun, 17 Dec. 2024 Spain’s far-flung empire, arguably the world’s most powerful, had seriously wobbled in the 1640s — and so had the king’s family life. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for king 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English cyning; akin to Old High German kuning king, Old English cynn kin

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of king was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near king

Cite this Entry

“King.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/king. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

king

noun
1
: a male ruler of a country who usually inherits his position and rules for life
2
: a chief among competitors
an oil king
3
: the chief piece in the game of chess
4
: a playing card bearing the figure of a king
5
: a piece in the game of checkers that has reached the opponent's back row and has been crowned

Biographical Definition

King 1 of 8

biographical name (1)

B. B. 1925–2015 originally Riley B. King American blues musician

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biographical name (2)

Billie Jean 1943–     née Moffitt American tennis player

King

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biographical name (3)

Ernest Joseph 1878–1956 American admiral

King

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biographical name (4)

Martin Luther, Jr. 1929–1968 American clergyman and civil rights leader

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biographical name (5)

Rufus 1755–1827 American politician and diplomat

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biographical name (6)

Stephen (Edwin) 1947–     American writer

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biographical name (7)

William Lyon Mackenzie 1874–1950 Canadian statesman; prime minister (1921–26; 1926–30; 1935–48)

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biographical name (8)

William Rufus de Vane 1786–1853 American politician; vice president of the U.S. (1853)

More from Merriam-Webster on king

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