royal
adjective
roy·al
| \ ˈrȯi(-ə)l
\
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Definition of royal
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: of kingly ancestry
the royal family
b
: of, relating to, or subject to the crown
the royal estates
c
: being in the crown's service
Royal Air Force
2a
: suitable for royalty : magnificent
b
: requiring no exertion : easy
there is no royal road to logic— Justus Buchler
3a
: of superior size, magnitude, or quality
a patronage of royal dimensions— J. H. Plumb
—often used as an intensive a royal pain
b
: established or chartered by the crown
4
: of, relating to, or being a part (such as a mast, sail, or yard) next above the topgallant
royal
nounDefinition of royal (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a person of royal blood
2
: a small sail on the royal mast immediately above the topgallant sail
3
: a stag of 8 years or more having antlers with at least 12 points
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Synonyms for royal
Synonyms: Adjective
kingly, monarchal (or monarchial), monarchical (also monarchic), princely, queenly, regal
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Examples of royal in a Sentence
Adjective
They received a royal welcome as they stepped off the plane. the school superintendent received a royal welcomeNoun
magazine stories about the private lives of royals
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
The clergy and royal courts in days of yore used images of griffins, hellmouths, harpies, dragons and sea swine to instill fear, to divide anxious populations, to assert dominance and control, and to ostracize non-Europeans. — Steven Litt, cleveland.com, "‘Medieval Monsters’ exhibit at Cleveland Museum of Art surveys images used to inspire fear, hatred and wonder," 1 Sep. 2019 Goulding, 32, has been close with the royal sisters for years. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, "Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice Arrive at Ellie Goulding's Wedding to Caspar Jopling," 31 Aug. 2019 Per the Guardian’s Mark Brown, the two-faced coin would have been easy to present as legal currency, as most Anglo-Saxons were illiterate and unable to distinguish between the relatively generic royal portraits. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Medieval Coin Hoard Offers Evidence of Early Tax Evasion," 30 Aug. 2019 Queen Elizabeth has approved the request for a suspension, though royal assent is largely considered a formality. — Time, "British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Has Suspended the U.K.'s Parliament. What Happens Next?," 29 Aug. 2019 Diana pushed the envelope of royal dressing, not only in her formalwear but in her more casual moments as well. — Kara Nesvig, Teen Vogue, "Hailey Bieber Dressed Like Princess Diana and We're Obsessed," 29 Aug. 2019 The royal monarchy is looking for someone interested in pursuing a hospitality career, but no previous housekeeping or hospitality experience is necessary for this position. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "The Queen Wants to Hire Her Own Personal Marie Kondo For Buckingham Palace," 29 Aug. 2019 Many other royal relatives, including Prince Edward, Sophie Countess of Wessex, Princess Anne, Camilla, and Peter and Autumn Phillips were also seen traveling to Sunday services. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Kate Middleton, Prince William, and the Cambridge Kids Return From Their Vacation in Scotland," 28 Aug. 2019 Johnson's request, therefore, puts the Queen in an unprecedented bind, having to choose between rejecting royal protocol or approving what Johnson's critics say is a blatant power grab that defies the spirit of British democracy. — Katherine Dunn, Fortune, "How Boris Johnson Just Put the Queen in an Unprecedented Brexit Bind," 28 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The Audrey, for example, began its life as a kitchen car before becoming the preferred carriage many royals, including Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Philip. — Jennifer M. Wood, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Belmond British Pullman Is Taking ‘Downton Abbey’ Fans from London to Highclere Castle," 26 Aug. 2019 There was only one catch: in the beginning, thanks to the kapu system of laws in ancient Hawai‘i, only the upper class and royals were allowed to surf, specifically on the surf break beyond what’s now the Outrigger Waikiki. — Jennifer Billock, Smithsonian, "Learn to Surf on the Break Where it All Began," 12 Aug. 2019 But there was little love for other royals, including the queen’s grandson Prince Harry. — Washington Post, "In leaked remarks, Nigel Farage slams Harry and Meghan, Prince Charles for climate change concern," 10 Aug. 2019 There are Democrats and Republicans, movie stars and movie moguls, an Israeli prime minister (Ehud Barak) and Saudi royals (Bandar and Salman), prime ministers and fellow billionaires. — Marc Fisher, Anchorage Daily News, "Epstein built a network of powerful defenders," 10 July 2019 Prince Andrew has been linked to Epstein, and legal documents unsealed by a U.S. judge just one day before Epstein’s death included allegations about the royal. — Julia Webster, Time, "Prince Andrew Says He Is 'Appalled' by Jeffrey Epstein's Alleged Crimes," 19 Aug. 2019 There's little the royals can do these days without some sort of public backlash. — Laura Hanrahan, Woman's Day, "Elton John Defends Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Against Environmental Critques," 19 Aug. 2019 The socially conscious royals have recently taken mini-breaks to Nice, France, and the island of Ibiza, racking up a number of private flights in less than two weeks. — Los Angeles Times, "An incensed Elton John defends Harry and Meghan’s private flights," 19 Aug. 2019 The former couple’s amicable parting extended into May 2018, when Bonas (as well as another ex of Prince Harry’s, Chelsy Davy) attended the wedding of the royal and his now-wife Meghan Markle. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, "Everything to Know About Prince Harry's Ex Cressida Bonas and Her Fiancé Harry Wentworth-Stanley," 19 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'royal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for royal
royal
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of royal
(Entry 1 of 2)
: of or relating to a king or queen
—used in names of organizations that are supported by or that serve a king or queen
: suitable for a king or queen : elaborate or impressive
royal
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of royal (Entry 2 of 2)
informal
: a member of a royal family
See the full definition for royal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
royal
adjective