kingdom

[king-duhm]

noun

1. a state or government having a king or queen as its head.

2. anything conceived as constituting a realm or sphere of independent action or control.

   the kingdom of thought.

   Synonyms: domain, empire, dominion

3. a realm or province of nature, especially one of the three broad divisions of natural objects.

   the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms.

4. Biology.,  a taxonomic category of the second highest rank, just below domain: in a traditional five-kingdom classification scheme, separate kingdoms are assigned to animals (Animalia), plants (Plantae), fungi (Fungi), protozoa and eukaryotic algae (Protista), and bacteria (Monera).

5. the spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ.

6. the domain over which the spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ extends, whether in heaven or on earth.

kingdom

/ ˈkɪŋdəm /

noun

1. a territory, state, people, or community ruled or reigned over by a king or queen

2. any of the three groups into which natural objects may be divided: the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms

3. biology any of the major categories into which living organisms of the domain Eukarya are classified. Modern systems recognize four kingdoms: Protoctista (algae, protozoans, etc), Fungi , Plantae , and Animalia See also domain

4. theol the eternal sovereignty of God

5. an area of activity, esp mental activity, considered as being the province of something specified

   the kingdom of the mind

kingdom

1. The highest classification into which living organisms are grouped in Linnean taxonomy, ranking above a phylum. One widely accepted system of classification divides life into five kingdoms: prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals.

2. See Table at taxonomy

kingdom

1. In biology, the largest of the divisions of living things. The best-known kingdoms are those of the plants and animals. Modern biologists recognize three additional kingdoms: Monera (or Prokaryotae) (for example, bacteria and blue-green algae), Protoctista (for example, red algae, slime molds, and amoebas and other protozoa), and fungi. (See Linnean classification.)

Other Word Forms

• underkingdom noun
• kingdomless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kingdom¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English cyningdōm; king, -dom

Synonym Study

Kingdom, monarchy, realm refer to the state or domain ruled by a king or queen. A kingdom is a governmental unit ruled by a king or queen: the kingdom of Norway. A monarchy is primarily a form of government in which a single person is sovereign; it is also the type of power exercised by the monarch: This kingdom is not an absolute monarchy. A realm is the domain, including the subjects, over which the king has jurisdiction; figuratively, a sphere of power or influence: the laws of the realm.

Example Sentences

Since Friday, Sept. 26, Saudi Arabia’s capital city has been hosting more than 50 comics performing in the kingdom’s inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival, which runs through Oct.

From Salon

Saudi Arabia has rejected that report, and the crown prince, who is effectively the kingdom's ruler, has denied any role in the murder.

From BBC

Syn insisted they were serious about making a deal to secretly sell the keys to my corporation's kingdom in exchange for a hefty pay day.

From BBC

Archaeologists have spent almost 30 years studying Finlaggan to gain a better understanding of its place in the kingdom of the Lords of the Isles, and the site's earlier history.

From BBC

“I know what this life is worth / We are universal spirits / And our kingdom is this Earth,” Wilkinson opens, as if a light has shone down on him.

From Los Angeles Times