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 /

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

In June, Eswatini's King Mswati III granted him citizenship of the southern African kingdom and a diplomatic passport - photographs and videos showed him kneeling before the monarch, external.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

The paper adds that the monarch has "appeared keen to distance himself from his brother's decision to sue the police", which could costs hundreds of thousands of pounds.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

It called on the monarch to refer three questions on the legality of the transatlantic slave trade to the Caribbean island's highest court of appeal based in London.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Following his victory, King Aegon I became the first monarch to rule Westeros from the Iron Throne and the founder of the Targaryen dynasty.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

Then he strode to the car, his arms swinging like an untroubled monarch.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 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

The balcony moment remains a reminder of royal continuity, with King Charles standing with two future monarchs in Prince William and Prince George.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

Historically, monarchs had a court of advisers, diplomats and merchants who jockeyed for proximity to limitless power.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026

But this was a far cry from riding Dodger up to see the monarchs after the wildfire.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• emperor
• king
• queen
• sovereign