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

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

Maria Carolina – whose title carries no legal standing in the Italian Republic - is a distant descendant of France's Sun-King Louis XIV.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 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

This is the type of monarchy embodied by Prince Carlo’s Bourbon ancestor, that very same Louis XIV who ruled by divine right and sought absolute power.

From Slate • Nov. 4, 2024

The doors lock and hinges are so big and antiquarian, they must be Louis XIV.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr