diadem
Americannoun
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a crown.
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a cloth headband, sometimes adorned with jewels, formerly worn by monarchs in Asia Minor and other parts of the East.
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royal dignity or authority.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a royal crown, esp a light jewelled circlet
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royal dignity or power
verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has diademedperfect 3rd person singular
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have diademedperfect
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is diademingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been diademingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am diademingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been diademingperfect progressive
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are diademingprogressive
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diademingparticiple
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diademssingular 3rd person
Past
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had diademedperfect
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had been diademingperfect progressive
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were diademingprogressive plural
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was diademingprogressive singular
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diademedparticiple
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diademedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of diadem
1250–1300; Middle English diademe (< Anglo-French ) < Latin diadēma < Greek diádēma fillet, band, equivalent to diadē- (verbid stem of diadeîn to bind round + -ma noun suffix
Explanation
A diadem is a crown, or something on a crown. If you’ve just won the Miss America pageant, reach up your hand — that’s right — that rhinestone encrusted circlet on your head? That’s a diadem. While diadem is a straightforward word meaning "crown," it can also refer to the jewels or other ornaments on a crown. It also sounds like diamond, which is handy for remembering the meaning, because a crown might well have diamonds on it. Or, the diadem could be the diamond on the crown. Technically, you could have a diadem on a diadem, but it would be confusing to say it that way. It comes from the Greek diadema, which was cloth tied around the head to signify royalty. Not as nice as diamonds though, really!
Vocabulary lists containing diadem
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Also stolen was a diadem that once belonged to the Empress Eugenie, which has nearly 2,000 diamonds; and a necklace that once belonged to Marie-Amelie, the last queen of France.
From Barron's • Oct. 20, 2025
The greenstone ornaments are typical of the Late Classic period and the mask and diadem are known to be exclusive to Maya royalty.
From Science Magazine • Apr. 17, 2024
If you're looking at it and wondering why it seems familiar, it might be because that diadem was seen on stamps from the late Queen's reign.
From BBC • Nov. 7, 2023
The initial notes bore a portrait of the queen wearing the family’s diamond diadem.
From New York Times • Dec. 19, 2022
“Well, there’s her lost diadem. I told you about it, remember, Harry? The lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Daddy’s trying to duplicate it.”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
