palace

1 of 2

noun

pal·​ace ˈpa-ləs 

1

a

: the official residence of a chief of state (such as a monarch or a president)

b

chiefly British : the official residence of an archbishop or bishop

2

a

: a large stately house

b

: a large public building

c

: a highly decorated place for public amusement or refreshment

a movie palace

palace

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of or relating to a palace

2

: of, relating to, or involving the intimates of a chief executive

a palace revolution

palace politics

3

: luxurious, deluxe

Synonyms

Noun

• castle
• château
• estate
• hacienda
• hall
• manor
• manor house
• manse
• mansion
• villa

Adjective

• Babylonian
• deluxe
• lavish
• Lucullan
• Lucullian
• luxe
• luxuriant
• luxurious
• luxury
• opulent
• palatial
• plush
• plushy
• silken
• sumptuous

Examples of palace in a Sentence

Noun

The town's old movie palace has been torn down.

the billionaire's “summer cottage” turned out to be an over-the-top palace

Adjective

a palace railroad car that was built for a 19th-century robber baron

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Istanbul is a true Middle East-meets-West experience: Streets unfold with a gilded mosque on your left, a marble palace on your right, and covered markets—where treasures lie—further down the street. —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024

Other minimum prepayments listed on the app: two hundred and eighty-five dollars per person at Le Pavillon, Boulud’s midtown seafood palace; two hundred and thirty-five at Marea, on Central Park South; and three hundred at Torrisi (on a Monday), a sister restaurant to Carbone. —Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2024

Philippe and his army reached the gates of the presidential palace, where he was turned back by Moreno and U.S. diplomats backed by a small security force. —Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024

Brit Hume, the Fox News political analyst who was then the Washington editor of More, published a long article about the palace intrigue. —Michael S. Rosenwald, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024

Austria From Vienna’s palaces, cathedrals, and coffee houses to Salzburg’s music history and breathtaking alpine scenery, Austria is a marvelous destination for all kinds of travelers. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2024

Queen Camilla Returns to Royal Duties After Easter Break and Anniversary Celebration with King Charles The heir to the throne previously expressed thanks for the kind messages sent to his family following the palace announcement about the King's cancer diagnosis. —Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024

Related article Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry have two new Netflix shows in production There have not been any changes to any palace guidance on future engagements. —Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

Weeks later, Bolsonaro supporters stormed the country’s capital of Brasilia, flooding the congress, presidential palace, and supreme court in a Jan. 6–style uprising that quickly failed. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English palais, from Anglo-French, from Latin palatium, from Palatium, the Palatine Hill in Rome where the emperors' residences were built

First Known Use

Noun

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

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

palace

noun

pal·​ace

ˈpal-əs

1

: the official residence of a ruler

2

: a large splendid house

3

: a large public building (as for a legislature, court, or governor)

Etymology

Noun

Middle English palais "palace," from early French palais (same meaning), from Latin palatium (same meaning), from Palatium, name of one of the Seven Hills of Rome on which the Caesars had their residences