palace
Americannoun
-
the official residence of a king, queen, bishop, or other sovereign or exalted personage.
-
a large and stately mansion or building.
-
a large and usually ornate place for entertainment, exhibitions, etc.
noun
-
the official residence of a reigning monarch or member of a royal family
Buckingham Palace
-
the official residence of various high-ranking church dignitaries or members of the nobility, as of an archbishop
-
a large and richly furnished building resembling a royal palace
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of palace
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
Explanation
A palace is a beautiful, large house where someone important, like a king, lives. Have you ever seen Buckingham Palace? That's where the Queen of England lives, and it's an enormous, ornate, heavily guarded building, which is typical of palaces. Palaces are lavish and over-the-top, because they are usually the home of a ruler such as a king, queen, or dictator. If you don’t live like a king, take comfort in this quote from the English poet John Donne: “Be thine own palace, or the world’s thy jail.”
Vocabulary lists containing palace
"Return to Titanic" and "Talking with Robert Ballard"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 13
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for June 4–June 10, 2022
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The Peterhof palace is a giant estate of gardens and a palace built in the 18th century under Russian Tsar Peter I.
From Barron's • Jul. 4, 2026
The summit venue may also appeal: Erdogan's gargantuan marble-lined presidential palace.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
And the palace is shelling out for more expensive cybersecurity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
So the "lower" figure of £99.9m compared to £138m is still considerably higher than the equivalent amount from before the rise was introduced to pay for the palace building works.
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
“I wonder, my dear, if you would consent to become an Assistant Mouse-in-Waiting for the Royal Princess Louise, daughter of the Queen. At the palace, of course. Buckingham Palace.”
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
