Jump To:

• prince
  prince

  noun

  a nonreigning male member of a royal family.
• Prince
  Prince

  noun

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

prince

¹ American  

[prins] / prɪns /

noun

• princes
  plural

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 American  

[prins] / prɪns /

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 British  

/ 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 British  

/ 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

Derived Forms

• princeship
  noun
• princeless
  adjective
• princelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• princes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of prince

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

Explanation

A prince is royalty, the son of a king or queen. Originally, a prince was the ruler of and individual territory, also known as “principalities.” A prince is a popular fairy tale hero, but there are real live ones, too. A prince is the son of a monarch, possibly even the person who stands to inherit the title of king after his father's death. Sometimes, though, a prince is simply a member of the royal family, or even a ruler over a small area of the monarch's country. Prince comes from the Latin princeps, "first man" or "ruler," from primus, "first." A prince is often first in line to inherit the throne.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prince Prince princes

In December 2021, Macron became one of the first Western leaders to meet the prince in Saudi Arabia in the wake of the Khashoggi killing.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Saudi crown prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday for a two-day visit set to range from esports to the war in the Middle East.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

For the tabloids, the return of the prodigal prince is a clear moneymaker and source of endless drama.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Harry may have stepped away from his family and royal duties, but he is still a prince of the realm.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

“You can do it,” the jackalope prince told her.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

He appeared to have mended relations with his cancer-battling father, King Charles III during recent visits to the UK, but Harry reportedly remains estranged from his heir-to-the-throne brother Prince William and wife Catherine.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

He and former NFL cornerback Prince Amukamara started the “Press Release” football podcast last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

It’s two parts Prince, one part Soul Train.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

His favorite musician is Prince, but when the book begins, he’s too frightened to buy the artist’s new album, “Lovesexy.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The young king, determined then to betray no sign of weakness before the Prince of Demons, gritted his teeth and walked on.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Each trade has its kings and queens, its princes and princesses.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

This changed when “Heated Rivalry” actors Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams broke the formula, starring as two rival fae princes in “Ember & Ice,” Quinn’s most popular series to date.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

The Koh-i-Noor, meaning "Mountain of Light" in Persian, has been the subject of conquest and intrigue for centuries, passing through the hands of Mughal princes, Iranian warriors, Afghan rulers and Punjabi Maharajas.

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026

Dad rocker Phil Collins and reformed Britpop princes Oasis led the 2026 class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees who were announced on live US television on Monday.

From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026

Without a doubt, princes become great when they overcome difficulties and obstacles imposed upon them.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli