throne

American  

[throhn] / θroʊn /

noun

• thrones
  plural

1. the chair or seat occupied by a sovereign, bishop, or other exalted personage on ceremonial occasions, usually raised on a dais and covered with a canopy.

2. the office or dignity of a sovereign.

   He came to the throne by succession.

3. the occupant of a throne; sovereign.

4. sovereign power or authority.

   to address one's pleas to the throne.

5. an episcopal office or authority.

   the diocesan throne.

6. mourners' bench.

7. thrones, an order of angels.

8. Facetious. a toilet.

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verb (used with or without object)

throned, throning

1. to sit on or as on a throne.

throne British  

/ θrəʊn /

noun

1. the ceremonial seat occupied by a monarch, bishop, etc on occasions of state

2. the power, duties, or rank ascribed to a royal person

3. a person holding royal rank

4. (plural; often capital) the third of the nine orders into which the angels are traditionally divided in medieval angelology

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verb

1. to place or be placed on a throne

throne Idioms  

1. see power behind the throne.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• throneless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• thrones
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of throne

1175–1225; Middle English < Latin thronus < Greek thrónos high seat; replacing Middle English trone < Old French < Latin, as above

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Explanation

The oversized, bejeweled chair on which a king or queen sits is called a throne. Monarchs — kings and queens — sit on thrones on special ceremonial occasions, and so do religious figures such as bishops and popes. You can also describe the act of naming a new monarch this way: "Queen Elizabeth II of England was throned in 1952." The word throne has its root in the Greek thronos, "chair or elevated seat." In ancient Greek mythology, Zeus was said to sit on a special heavenly seat, the Dios thronous.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

throne thrones throned throning

After Duncan is dead, Macbeth worries that his friend Banquo’s line will end up on the throne.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Some will feature hidden messages within ancient carvings, while others will emphasize photo opportunities with Paul Atreides’ throne, allowing guests to attempt their best Timothée Chalamet impression.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

According to the succession committee, the South East Dons captain and goalkeeper declined the offer of the throne, citing other responsibilities.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

The Orange Order is an pro-British organisation that takes its name from William of Orange, the Protestant Dutchman who seized the English, Scottish and Ireland throne from Catholic King James II in 1689.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

To his right was what looked like a throne carved out of stone surrounded by bare thornbushes.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

We enter the blacked-out gallery via a lobby lined with 10 tall screens that show autumnal woods and outline the game of thrones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

The ceremony then culminated with Mullally being seated in two different thrones.

From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026

Foo Fighters fired its new drummer Josh Freese this year, just two years into his tenure behind one of the most coveted thrones in rock following the death of Taylor Hawkins in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2025

Farther up, another channel, ABP, turned for the second straight night to a program that made its intentions abundantly clear: “Who Will Become Prime Minister?” read the poster for the show, decorated with red thrones.

From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2024

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan

A hoarder of women, art, antiquities — and most of all, money — Getty also might have taken issue with Portia’s claim that mercy “becomes the throned monarch better than his crown.”

From New York Times ● Dec. 24, 2017

So Blatter is seeking to be throned for another four years as Fifa big cheese at the elections to be held in June.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 22, 2011

They have commanded knights and serfs, taken walled towns and sat throned among their armies.

From Time Magazine Archive

The spectacle of John L. Lewis on Organized Labor's pinnacle, throned on Coal and crowned with Steel, is not fantastic.

From Time Magazine Archive

A kingdom where kings are throned and dethroned daily.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

Frederic, though great in royal throning, Well may amaze the earth, and heaven, When clothed by thunder and the levin Swerves he before the hero's fanfare.

From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 4 by Hamilton Wright Mabie

My banishment to-day will free Kaikeyí from her cares, that she, At last contented and elate, May Bharat's throning celebrate.

From The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Ralph T. H. (Ralph Thomas Hotchkin) Griffith

Whate'er the rites of throning need Placed on a car the way shall lead: The sacred vessels I will take To the wild wood for Ráma's sake.

From The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Ralph T. H. (Ralph Thomas Hotchkin) Griffith

Kenric was attired in the same fashion as on the day of his throning, but that he now wore no covering upon his head.

From The Thirsty Sword by Robert Leighton

On every side, where'er he came, He heard glad words, their theme the same, As in their joy the gathered folk Of Ráma and the throning spoke.

From The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Ralph T. H. (Ralph Thomas Hotchkin) Griffith

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