a nonreigning male member of a royal family.
History/Historical. a sovereign or monarch; king.
(in Great Britain) a son or grandson (if the child of a son) of a king or queen.
the English equivalent of any of various titles of nobility in other countries.
a holder of such a title.
the ruler of a small state, as one actually or nominally subordinate to a suzerain.
Monaco is ruled by a prince.
a person or thing that is chief or preeminent in any class, group, etc..
a merchant prince.
a person possessing admirably fine and genial characteristics.
He is a prince of a man.
Harold S(mith) Hal, 1928–2019, U.S. stage director and producer.
Prince Rogers Nelson, 1958–2016, U.S. singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
a male given name.
(in Britain) a son of the sovereign or of one of the sovereign's sons
a nonreigning male member of a sovereign family
the monarch of a small territory, such as Monaco, usually called a principality, that was at some time subordinate to an emperor or king
any sovereign; monarch
a nobleman in various countries, such as Italy and Germany
an outstanding member of a specified group
a merchant prince
informal a generous and charming man
1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Latin prīncip- (stem of prīnceps ) first, principal (adj.), principal person, leader (noun), equivalent to prīn- for prīmus prime + -cep- (combining form of capere to take) + -s nominative singular ending
A prince is royalty, the son of a king or queen. Originally, a prince was the ruler of and individual territory, also known as “principalities.” A prince is a popular fairy tale hero, but there are real live ones, too. A prince is the son of a monarch, possibly even the person who stands to inherit the title of king after his father's death. Sometimes, though, a prince is simply a member of the royal family, or even a ruler over a small area of the monarch's country. Prince comes from the Latin princeps, "first man" or "ruler," from primus, "first." A prince is often first in line to inherit the throne.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Mozart’s opera, Tamino, a prince in a fairyland of mystic temples and mystifying gods, relies on his supernatural flute that turn sorrow into joy to get him out of jams.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
From this odd, real-life figure Mr. Mintzker turns to the fictional tale of a renowned prince from ancient times who, while visiting Egypt, is transformed by a jealous pharaoh into a miserable, put-upon horse.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
During his first term, China feted him like a favorite prince with various ceremonies: a private tour of the Forbidden City, followed by a performance by the Peking Opera and a huge state dinner.
From Salon • May 14, 2026
Irwin works with the prince through amplifying projects focused on protecting and restoring nature, which also aligns with his own global charity called Wildlife Warriors.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
The prince of the Red Woods, while having a tendency to be a little mean and bossy, could be fun to have around.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
