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divine right of kings
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noun
the doctrine that the right of rule derives directly from God, not from the consent of the people.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Also called divine right .
Origin of divine right of kings
First recorded in 1735–45
Words nearby divine right of kings
divine healing, Divine Liturgy, Divine Mother, divine office, diviner, divine right of kings, divine service, diving beetle, diving bell, diving board, diving boat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for divine right of kings
divine right of kings
noun
history the concept that the right to rule derives from God and that kings are answerable for their actions to God alone
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for divine right of kings
divine right of kings
The doctrine that kings and queens have a God-given right to rule and that rebellion against them is a sin. This belief was common through the seventeenth century and was urged by such kings as Louis xiv of France. (See absolute monarchy.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.