monarch

American  

[mon-erk, -ahrk] / ˈmɒn ərk, -ɑrk /

noun

• monarchs
  plural

1. a hereditary sovereign, as a king, queen, or emperor.

2. a sole and absolute ruler of a state or nation.

3. a person or thing that holds a dominant position.

   a monarch of international shipping.

4. monarch butterfly.

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monarch British  

/ ˈmɒnək, mɒˈnɑːkəl, mɒˈnɑːkɪəl /

noun

1. a sovereign head of state, esp a king, queen, or emperor, who rules usually by hereditary right

2. a supremely powerful or pre-eminent person or thing

3. Also called: milkweed.  a large migratory butterfly, Danaus plexippus, that has orange-and-black wings and feeds on the milkweed plant: family Danaidae

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• monarchism
  noun
• monarchist
  noun
• antimonarch
  adjective
• monarchal
  adjective
• monarchical
  adjective
• monarchistic
  adjective
• monarchally
  adverb
• monarchically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• monarchs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of monarch

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French monarche, monarch, from Late Latin monarcha, from Greek mónarchos “sole ruler, monarch”; see mon-, -arch

Explanation

If you think the Queen of England is just the coolest thing ever, then you like monarchs: hereditary rulers of countries usually known as king or queen. You might think your principal rules with absolute power, but that's not really true: there's a school board and an administration and she can't really control everything. But a monarch can. Monarch comes from the Greek mono, "one," and archon, "ruler." Many modern monarchies actually have parliaments and constitutions, leaving the monarch more symbolic than powerful. A monarch is also a particularly royal looking butterfly with orange wings and black and white spots.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

monarch monarchs

The trip marked his first royal visit as monarch to a British overseas territory and came after a state visit to the US.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

The monarch "welcomes the opportunity to see more of the family in a personal capacity", but there will be no change in their status and the couple would still not be working royals, PA said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

However, the family made a trip to the U.K. earlier this summer and visited King Charles, in what was seen as a sign of rapprochement with the monarch, who is continuing to battle cancer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

His role was central to the day because prime ministers are formally appointed by the sitting monarch, who is head of state.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

“What is the point of catching her?” asked the monarch.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Martin and Lewis became the monarchs of all media, conquering radio, nightclubs, television and the silver screen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

"Many of the Scottish monarchs actually tried to ban it because of all the chaos it was causing."

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

Raoni, chief of the Kayapo people, has traveled around the world for decades to advocate for the Amazon rainforest and traditional Indigenous communities, lobbying heads of state, monarchs and popes.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

It was abandoned after Napoleon’s fall in 1814 and then completed, very slowly, by a series of architects under three different monarchs and several competing agendas.

From Salon ● May 3, 2026

The fire she had escaped with Sue, the fire that was burning the monarchs above her, the fire in the valley below.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• emperor
• king
• queen
• sovereign