viceroy

noun

vice·​roy ˈvīs-ˌrȯi 

1

: the governor of a country or province who rules as the representative of a king or sovereign

2

or viceroy butterfly : a showy North American nymphalid butterfly (Limenitis archippus) closely mimicking the monarch in coloration but smaller

Examples of viceroy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lahore was once known as the city of gardens, a jewel fought over by empires—the Mughals, but also the raiding Mongols, the Sikhs, and the viceroys of the British Raj. —Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2024

As the son of a major Presbyterian landowner, Castlereagh was born into the Protestant Ascendancy, which governed the island, in tandem with a British viceroy, through a parliament based in Dublin. —Brendan Simms, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2013

Edward Nelson turned his rich baritone to entertainingly overplaying the viceroy turned mayor Don Andrès, pushing his arrogance to a point that once or twice successfully inspired a whit of pity. —Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024

The choice of Offenbach’s loony comedy about a pair of starving Peruvian artists and their manipulation by a powerful philandering viceroy was the recommendation of mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard — who sings the title role with disarming comedic chops to rival her formidable pipes. —Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French vice-roi, from vice- + roi king, from Old French rei, roi, from Latin reg-, rex

First Known Use

1524, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

viceroy

noun

vice·​roy ˈvīs-ˌrȯi 

1

: the governor of a country or province who represents the sovereign

2

: a black and orange North American butterfly resembling but smaller than the monarch