ducal

American

[doo-kuhl, dyoo-] / ˈdu kəl, ˈdyu- /

adjective

of or relating to a duke or dukedom.

ducal British

/ ˈdjuːkəl /

adjective

of or relating to a duke or duchy

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of ducal

First recorded in 1485–95, ducal is from the Late Latin word ducālis of a leader. See duke, -al ¹

Vocabulary lists containing ducal

Lead the Way: Duc and Duct

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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.

Film director Bruce Beresford updated the ducal court of Mantua to present-day Beverly Hills and Venice Beach.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2025

Buckingham Palace made no announcement about his ducal title, prompting Labour MP Ms Maskell to air her concerns.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2022

In the books, Simon's father is obsessed with appearances and lineage to the point that his relentless demands for a ducal heir are thought to have killed his poor wife in childbirth.

From Salon • Dec. 27, 2020

And with that piece of kidding around, it feels wise to proceed straight to vehement ducal denials.

From The Guardian • Aug. 29, 2019

We passed the yacht, beloved of Mrs. Van Hopper because of its ducal owner, and snapped our fingers at the glistening brass, and looked at one another and laughed again.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023