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Louis XIV

American  

noun

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


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

"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

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”).


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.

See Examples For:

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Trump for dinner at Versailles after a G7 summit last month, with the US president calling the palace of the Sun King Louis XIV "the real deal".

From Barron's Jul. 7, 2026

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

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

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