Louis XIV

American  

noun

1. the Greatthe Sun King, 1638–1715, king of France 1643–1715 (son of Louis XIII).

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Louis XIV British  

noun

1. known as le roi soleil (the Sun King). 1638–1715, king of France (1643–1715); son of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. Effective ruler from 1661, he established an absolute monarchy. His attempt to establish French supremacy in Europe, waging almost continual wars from 1667 to 1714, ultimately failed. But his reign is regarded as a golden age of French literature and art

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Louis XIV Cultural  

1. A king of France in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Louis was known as the Sun King for his power and splendor. By inviting French nobles to live in luxury at his palace at Versailles, he removed them as threats and greatly increased his own power. He is known for saying, “L'état, c'est moi” (“I am the state”).

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Example Sentences

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Louis XIV

For just a moment, he was in his happy place, contemplating his ballroom and thinking about how he might compare to Louis XIV, the monarch he might most admire if he knew anything about him.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026

Louis XIV realized that the production and export of luxury goods could be big business, and Paris has been a point of pilgrimage for fashion lovers ever since.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026

D'Artagnan is believed to have been hit in the throat by a musket ball as Louis XIV sought to capture Maastricht.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026

Under his leadership, the palace, which was built by Louis XIV in the 17th century, hosted competitions for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026

In 1656 Louis XIV expanded the violin band further and renamed it La grande bande.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall