kingdom

noun

king·​dom ˈkiŋ-dəm 

1

: a politically organized community or major territorial unit having a monarchical form of government headed by a king or queen

2

often capitalized

a

: the eternal kingship of God

b

: the realm in which God's will is fulfilled

3

a

: a realm or region in which something is dominant

a cattle kingdom

b

: an area or sphere in which one holds a preeminent position

The office was his own private kingdom.

4

a

: one of the three primary divisions into which natural objects are commonly classified compare animal kingdom, mineral kingdom, plant kingdom

b

: a major category (such as Plantae or Protista) in biological taxonomy that ranks above the phylum and below the domain

5

archaic : kingship

Synonyms

• realm
• area
• domain
• department
• element
• field
• sphere
• walk
• province

Examples of kingdom in a Sentence

After Queen Mary I died, her half sister Elizabeth ruled the kingdom.

a studio head who was once the undisputed ruler of the kingdom of Hollywood

Recent Examples on the Web

Campeau designed with the natural world in mind, differentiating the kingdoms of Maui, O’ahu, and Hawaii through key geographic features in each. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2025

These projects in the kingdom and elsewhere in the region often encompass neo-futuristic cities, Trump towers and luxury developments designed to attract investment, tourism, and international attention. —Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025

Getty Images Saudi Arabia has formally requested that Greece extend its deployment of a MIM-104 Patriot missile defense system in the kingdom until at least November 2026, the Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported. —Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Chinese electronics maker Lenovo pushed forward with plans to establish its regional headquarters in Riyadh, cementing a tie-up with the kingdom’s ALAT and delivering a win for Saudi efforts to lure major international companies to establish hubs in the country. —Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing kingdom

• animal kingdom
• kingdom come
• mineral kingdom
• plant kingdom
• to kingdom come

Kids Definition

kingdom

noun

king·​dom ˈkiŋ-dəm 

1

: a country whose ruler is a king or queen

2

: a region in which something or someone has very strong influence

the cotton kingdom

3

a

: one of the three primary divisions into which natural objects are classified compare animal kingdom, mineral kingdom, plant kingdom

b

: a major category in the scientific classification of living things that ranks above the phylum and below the domain

Medical Definition

kingdom

noun

king·​dom ˈkiŋ-dəm 

1

: any of the three primary divisions into which natural objects are grouped see animal kingdom, mineral kingdom, plant kingdom

2

: a major category (as Protista) in biological taxonomy that ranks above the phylum and below the domain