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
3
: one that holds a preeminent position
especially
: a chief among competitors
the cattle kings rode up from the south —
Alan Moorehead
Alan Moorehead even if no longer king, cotton remains the chief cash crop —Howell Walker
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
Synonyms
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
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, a family friend, saw the play, about a Spanish king who couldn’t sleep until he’d been soothed by the voice of a castrato, and persuaded van Kampen to pen a screenplay.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2025
Now the king is back, hanging out with current Cubs players at a North Side blues club.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
One day later, reality hit and the 155-pound king showed there are levels to the game, taking down the challenger and sinking in a D’Arce choke to force the first-round tapout in the UFC 311 main event Saturday at Intuit Dome.
—Brian Martin, Orange County Register, 18 Jan. 2025
Despite these achievements, many scholars believe the king deserves his tyrannical reputation.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for king 
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Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2025
Now the king is back, hanging out with current Cubs players at a North Side blues club.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
One day later, reality hit and the 155-pound king showed there are levels to the game, taking down the challenger and sinking in a D’Arce choke to force the first-round tapout in the UFC 311 main event Saturday at Intuit Dome.
—Brian Martin, Orange County Register, 18 Jan. 2025
Despite these achievements, many scholars believe the king deserves his tyrannical reputation.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for king
Articles Related to king
Dictionary Entries Near king
Cite this Entry
“King.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/king. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
king
noun1
: 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
King
2 of 8biographical name (2)
Billie Jean 1943– née Moffitt American tennis player
King
3 of 8biographical name (3)
Ernest Joseph 1878–1956 American admiral
King
4 of 8biographical name (4)
Martin Luther, Jr. 1929–1968 American clergyman and civil rights leader
King
5 of 8biographical name (5)
Rufus 1755–1827 American politician and diplomat
King
6 of 8biographical name (6)
Stephen (Edwin) 1947– American writer
King
7 of 8biographical name (7)
William Lyon Mackenzie 1874–1950 Canadian statesman; prime minister (1921–26; 1926–30; 1935–48)
King
8 of 8biographical name (8)
William Rufus de Vane 1786–1853 American politician; vice president of the U.S. (1853)
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