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 /

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

To this day, the “King of Canada,” who also happens to be the monarch of the United Kingdom, is the official head of state, and full constitutional separation from Britain didn’t happen until 1982.

From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026

Denmark's King Frederik X said the late monarch was "an extraordinary man" who "joined duty and responsibility with presence and compassion".

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

The late monarch has been described as an inclusive, transparent and empathetic "people's king" who modernised the Norwegian monarchy.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

The monarch, who was the Prince of Wales at the time, acknowledged the "appalling atrocity of slavery" the Caribbean island suffered during a speech he made.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

"And what is our fearless monarch doing whilst all this 'butcher's work' is being done?" he won-dered.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

European monarchs and world leaders paid tribute Friday to Norway's King Harald, after the royal palace announced his death at the age of 89.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

The 89-year-old, who is one of Europe's longest-serving monarchs, has been treated in recent weeks with cortisone for rare blood condition haemolytic anaemia.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Martin and Lewis became the monarchs of all media, conquering radio, nightclubs, television and the silver screen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

We know very little about Offa compared to other Anglo-Saxon monarchs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

The blackened, burned trees eventually gave way to live ponderosa pines, and then to untouched bearclover and white alder, and at last she and Dodger were back among the monarchs again.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• emperor
• king
• queen
• sovereign