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.
Visits began on Tuesday, with the King arriving at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh for the Ceremony of the Keys and holding an investiture.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
In 2022, Binance said it would make Paris its regional hub, following a meeting at the Élysée Palace between Zhao and French President Emmanuel Macron, who had pledged to make France a startup nation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
Vibe: After a rehearsal dinner at the Palace of Versailles in France, private jets flew guests to a 16th-century fort in Italy for the actual wedding.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
While the security arrangements for July's visit remain unclear, the BBC reported that Buckingham Palace had not offered any extra security for the trip.
From Barron's • Jun. 27, 2026
Because she’d had to rebuild her whole life as if she were just some room in the Palace of Illusions?
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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.
