monarch

American  

[mon-erk, -ahrk] / ˈmɒn ərk, -ɑrk /

noun

• monarchs
  plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• monarchs
  plural

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”; see mon-, -arch

Explanation

If you think the Queen of England is just the coolest thing ever, then you like monarchs: hereditary rulers of countries usually known as king or queen. You might think your principal rules with absolute power, but that's not really true: there's a school board and an administration and she can't really control everything. But a monarch can. Monarch comes from the Greek mono, "one," and archon, "ruler." Many modern monarchies actually have parliaments and constitutions, leaving the monarch more symbolic than powerful. A monarch is also a particularly royal looking butterfly with orange wings and black and white spots.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

monarch monarchs

Ms. Williams delights in the paradoxes of butterfly evolution, including monarch caterpillars’ calibrated resistance to milkweed toxins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

It is not the first time a monarch has made a memorable entrance to a major sporting event's opening ceremony.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Bubaraye Dakolo, the monarch of Ekpetiama kingdom in southern Bayelsa state, had taken the British energy giant to court after it announced conclusion of the sale of its Nigerian onshore assets in March 2025.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

I started raising monarch butterflies because my identical twin sister, who played my twin on the show, planted a butterfly garden.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Since the Inca bureaucracy was so strongly identified with its godlike absolute monarch, it disintegrated after Atahuallpa’s death.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

The monarchs always seem to find my garden.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Raoni, chief of the Kayapo people, has traveled around the world for decades to advocate for the Amazon rainforest and traditional Indigenous communities, lobbying heads of state, monarchs and popes.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

King Charles's actual birthday is 14th November but monarchs have historically also marked an official birthday for public events held in the summer when the weather is generally better.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

Historically, monarchs had a court of advisers, diplomats and merchants who jockeyed for proximity to limitless power.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026

The fire she had escaped with Sue, the fire that was burning the monarchs above her, the fire in the valley below.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• emperor
• king
• queen
• sovereign