palace

[pal-is]

noun

1. the official residence of a king, queen, bishop, or other sovereign or exalted personage.

2. a large and stately mansion or building.

3. a large and usually ornate place for entertainment, exhibitions, etc.

palace

/ ˈpælɪs /

noun

1. the official residence of a reigning monarch or member of a royal family

   Buckingham Palace

2. the official residence of various high-ranking church dignitaries or members of the nobility, as of an archbishop

3. a large and richly furnished building resembling a royal palace

Other Word Forms

• palaced adjective
• palacelike adjective
• palaceward adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of palace¹

1200–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin palācium, spelling variant of palātium, Latin: generic use of Palātium name of the hill in Rome on which the emperor's palace was situated; replacing Middle English paleis < Old French ≪ Latin Palātium

Word History and Origins

Origin of palace¹

C13: from Old French palais, from Latin Palātium _Palatine ², the site of the palace of the emperors

Example Sentences

“And why are we not on our way? The tsar’s own palace could be built in half this time!”

Read more on Literature

There would be libraries everywhere, and theaters and museums, parks and palaces—why, it was like something out of a book!

Read more on Literature

But at the same time it spent only €26.7m on maintenance works, and €59.5m on restoration of the palace building.

Read more on BBC

Inside the presidential palace her sons have offices, staffers and cars but critics say they don’t do anything.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Several protesters, some wearing balaclavas, toppled the metal barriers protecting the palace and threw paving stones at riot police, who responded with tear gas, according to AFP journalists.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• dwelling 
• hall 
• mansion