divine right of kings
- the doctrine that the right of rule derives directly from God, not from the consent of the people.
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Origin of divine right of kings
First recorded in 1735–45
Also called divine right.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
divine right of kings
- history the concept that the right to rule derives from God and that kings are answerable for their actions to God alone
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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
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.)
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
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