prince

¹

[prins]

noun

1. a nonreigning male member of a royal family.

2. History/Historical.,  a sovereign or monarch; king.

3. (in Great Britain) a son or grandson (if the child of a son) of a king or queen.

4. the English equivalent of any of various titles of nobility in other countries.

5. a holder of such a title.

6. the ruler of a small state, as one actually or nominally subordinate to a suzerain.

   Monaco is ruled by a prince.

7. a person or thing that is chief or preeminent in any class, group, etc..

   a merchant prince.

8. a person possessing admirably fine and genial characteristics.

   He is a prince of a man.

Prince

²

[prins]

noun

1. Harold S(mith) Hal, 1928–2019, U.S. stage director and producer.

2. Prince Rogers Nelson, 1958–2016, U.S. singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

3. a male given name.

prince

¹

/ prɪns /

noun

1. (in Britain) a son of the sovereign or of one of the sovereign's sons

2. a nonreigning male member of a sovereign family

3. the monarch of a small territory, such as Monaco, usually called a principality, that was at some time subordinate to an emperor or king

4. any sovereign; monarch

5. a nobleman in various countries, such as Italy and Germany

6. an outstanding member of a specified group

   a merchant prince

7. informal,  a generous and charming man

Prince

²

/ prɪns /

noun

1. full name Prince Rogers Nelson. born 1958, US rock singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. His albums include Dirty Mind (1981), Purple Rain (1984), Parade (1986), and Sign o' the Times (1987)

Other Word Forms

• princelike adjective
• princeless adjective
• princeship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prince¹

1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Latin prīncip- (stem of prīnceps ) first, principal (adj.), principal person, leader (noun), equivalent to prīn- for prīmus prime + -cep- (combining form of capere to take) + -s nominative singular ending

Word History and Origins

Origin of prince¹

C13: via Old French from Latin princeps first man, ruler, chief

Example Sentences

In an emotional conversation, captured on camera, Rhian Mannings told the prince that her husband had taken his own life, five days after the couple had faced the death of their one-year-old son.

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Last week the prince described the Earthshot finalists as "heroes of our time".

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Celtic roundhouses and a prince's court are among the ancient buildings found in this green and quiet corner of the capital.

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The prize, created by the prince five years ago, awards £1m every year to five projects for their environmental innovations.

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Saudi Arabia has rejected that report, and the crown prince, who is effectively the kingdom's ruler, has denied any role in the murder.

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