prince

noun

ˈprin(t)s 

1

a

: monarch, king

b

: the ruler of a principality or state

2

: a male member of a royal family

especially : a son of the sovereign

3

: a nobleman of varying rank and status

4

: one likened to a prince

especially : a man of high rank or of high standing in his class or profession

princeship

ˈprin(t)s-ˌship 

noun

Synonyms

• baron
• captain
• czar
• tsar
• tzar
• king
• lion
• lord
• magnate
• mogul
• monarch
• Napoleon
• tycoon

Examples of prince in a Sentence

a neighborhood in which the city's merchant princes built palaces that shamelessly celebrated their wealth

Recent Examples on the Web

On March 24, 2022, the day of the contentious vote, Suarez was in the United Arab Emirates — where Quinn Emanuel represents several sovereign wealth funds and other government entities — signing a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Emirati officials alongside the crown prince of Dubai. —Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025

Nightbreed peacock The Northman Year: 2022 Runtime: 2h 17m Director: Robert Eggers This epic from the director of The Lighthouse stars Alexander Skarsgard as a Viking prince who returns to his homeland with vengeance on his mind. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025

To keep Kiara's mind off things, Rafiki tells the story of young Mufasa (Aaron Pierre), who got washed away from his family by a huge flood and was saved by Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), the prince of his pride who shows early signs of his craven nature and eventual heel turn as Scar. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024

But after the prince of the white lion pride dies in a battle between Mufasa and Eshe, Kiros (Mikkelsen), their king, seeks revenge. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin princip-, princeps leader, initiator, from primus first + capere to take — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing prince

• crown prince
• prince consort
• prince's feather

Kids Definition

prince

noun

ˈprin(t)s 

1

: monarch sense 1

2

: a son or grandson of a monarch : a male member of a royal family

3

: a nobleman of very high rank

4

: a person of high standing in his class or profession

Etymology

Middle English prince "ruler, king," from early French prince (same meaning), from Latin princip-, princeps "leader, initiator," literally, "one who takes the first part," from primus "first" and capere "to take" — related to prime