kingdom

[ king-duhm ]

See synonyms for kingdom on Thesaurus.com

noun

a state or government having a king or queen as its head.
anything conceived as constituting a realm or sphere of independent action or control: the kingdom of thought.

a realm or province of nature, especially one of the three broad divisions of natural objects: the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms.
Biology. a taxonomic category of the second highest rank, just below domain: in a traditional five-kingdom classification scheme, separate kingdoms are assigned to animals (Animalia), plants (Plantae), fungi (Fungi), protozoa and eukaryotic algae (Protista), and bacteria (Monera).
the spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ.
the domain over which the spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ extends, whether in heaven or on earth.

Origin of kingdom

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English cyningdōm; see origin at king, -dom

synonym study For kingdom

1. Kingdom, monarchy, realm refer to the state or domain ruled by a king or queen. A kingdom is a governmental unit ruled by a king or queen: the kingdom of Norway. A monarchy is primarily a form of government in which a single person is sovereign; it is also the type of power exercised by the monarch: This kingdom is not an absolute monarchy. A realm is the domain, including the subjects, over which the king has jurisdiction; figuratively, a sphere of power or influence: the laws of the realm.

Other words for kingdom

2	dominion, empire, domain

See synonyms for kingdom on Thesaurus.com

Other words from kingdom

un·der·king·dom, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use kingdom in a sentence

Sports, too, were an important part of the kingdoms of the Catskills.
The Ghost Hotels of the Catskills | Brandon Presser | August 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
His father had read him stories, like King Arthur, epics of kingdoms won and lost.
The Price of Being a Patton: Wrestling With the Legacy of America’s Most Famous General | Tim Teeman | May 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Amid the Iron Islands—perhaps non-ferric metals are scarce in the Seven Kingdoms?
Game of Thrones’ Ep. 6, ‘The Laws of Gods and Men’: The Riveting Trial of Tyrion Lannister | Andrew Romano | May 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
They wear white cloaks, a symbol of their office, a sort of Secret Service for the Seven Kingdoms.
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 3 for Dummies | Jace Lacob | March 27, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Two earlier kingdoms dating back to 1745 collapsed due to outside pressure and internal divisions created by succession quarrels.
With Prince Muqrin’s Appointment, Saudi Succession Crisis Looms | Bruce Riedel | February 3, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

Nor is there anyone of that order who talks of going back to those kingdoms without the most urgent reason making it necessary.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624 | Various
Its culture in these kingdoms as well as by their colonies brought to the crown enormous revenues.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called the lady of kingdoms.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | Various
What were invasions and armies—what were kings and kingdoms—to the slightest wish of the being who had written this billet?
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV. | Various
By his death the connection between the kingdoms of England and Denmark was severed.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell

British Dictionary definitions for kingdom

kingdom

/ (ˈkɪŋdəm) /

noun

a territory, state, people, or community ruled or reigned over by a king or queen
any of the three groups into which natural objects may be divided: the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms

biology any of the major categories into which living organisms of the domain Eukarya are classified. Modern systems recognize four kingdoms: Protoctista (algae, protozoans, etc), Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia: See also domain (def. 12)
theol the eternal sovereignty of God
an area of activity, esp mental activity, considered as being the province of something specified: the kingdom of the mind

Derived forms of kingdom

kingdomless, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for kingdom

kingdom

[ kĭng′dəm ]

The highest classification into which living organisms are grouped in Linnean taxonomy, ranking above a phylum. One widely accepted system of classification divides life into five kingdoms: prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals. See Table at taxonomy.

Cultural definitions for kingdom

kingdom

In biology, the largest of the divisions of living things. The best-known kingdoms are those of the plants and animals. Modern biologists recognize three additional kingdoms: Monera (or Prokaryotae) (for example, bacteria and blue-green algae), Protoctista (for example, red algae, slime molds, and amoebas and other protozoa), and fungi. (See Linnean classification.)

Browse