monarch

American  

[mon-erk, -ahrk] / ˈmɒn ərk, -ɑrk /

noun

1. a hereditary sovereign, as a king, queen, or emperor.

2. a sole and absolute ruler of a state or nation.

3. a person or thing that holds a dominant position.

   a monarch of international shipping.

4. monarch butterfly.

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monarch British  

/ ˈmɒnək, mɒˈnɑːkəl, mɒˈnɑːkɪəl /

noun

1. a sovereign head of state, esp a king, queen, or emperor, who rules usually by hereditary right

2. a supremely powerful or pre-eminent person or thing

3. Also called: milkweed.  a large migratory butterfly, Danaus plexippus, that has orange-and-black wings and feeds on the milkweed plant: family Danaidae

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Other Word Forms

• antimonarch adjective
• monarchal adjective
• monarchally adverb
• monarchical adjective
• monarchically adverb
• monarchism noun
• monarchist noun
• monarchistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of monarch

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French monarche, monarch, from Late Latin monarcha, from Greek mónarchos “sole ruler, monarch”; mon-, -arch

Example Sentences

British monarchs serve as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and hold the title Defender of the Faith.

From BBC

News of the 24 February invitation comes after the monarch acknowledged there had been "a lot of abuse" during the Spanish conquest of the territory that would become Mexico.

From BBC

These were pushed forward in the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation, when both England and Scotland embraced the new faith, and after 1603, when both countries shared a single monarch.

From The Wall Street Journal

Putting the monarch through his paces, the 22-year-old explained: "First, you load up the tracks and then play this one. There are so many buttons. Once you know what to do, it's easy."

From BBC

As with the Gulf monarchs, there is also the potential for an enormous financial windfall.

From Salon

Related Words

• emperor
• king
• queen
• sovereign