adjective
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generous or lavish
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of, belonging to, or characteristic of a prince
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of princely
Explanation
Something princely is controlled by or suits a prince, like a princely territory or a princely velvet cape. If a prince (a male royal, often the son of a king or queen) rules certain areas, they are princely territories. And if a prince wears certain clothes, you could say he sports a princely outfit. You can also use this adjective to mean "fancy" or "opulent," so you might describe the princely furnishings in your elegant hotel room or the princely offerings on the menu at a four-star restaurant.
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.
See Examples For:
They had assiduously saved the cash that came in from gifts and summer jobs, and it had compounded over time to reach a princely sum.
From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026
He will then visit the princely palace, the official residence of the Grimaldi dynasty since the 13th century, for a private meeting with Prince Albert.
From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026
What quickly became nonnegotiable was the fact that no princely state could go rogue and assert its own independence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
A "princely" grave of a horse buried alongside two people has been discovered by archaeologists working on one of Britain's biggest digs.
From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026
The princely clothes he wore were strange to him, the stones he stood on were unfamiliar, the very air he breathed was alien; he was not himself, not the self he had been.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Beverly, boy!—on his white steed, I ween, A princelier presence has never been seen; And as yonder he lies, from the groups all apart, I bow to him loyally,—bow with my heart.
From Beechenbrook A Rhyme of the War by Margaret J. Preston
No house in Venice had held this right for more generations; no house was princelier in its bearing, nor more superbly republican!
From A Golden Book of Venice by Mrs. Lawrence Turnbull
Further to add to the complexity, he loved his liberty; he was princelier free; he had more subjects, more slaves; he ruled arrogantly in the world of women; he was more himself.
From The Egoist by George Meredith
Nay, if we compare Pope to some of the later writers who have wrung still princelier rewards from fortune, the result is not unfavourable.
From Hours in a Library, Volume I. (of III.) by Sir Leslie Stephen
Nearly all the houses had vegetable gardens, and some of them had flower-gardens that appeared princelier pleasaunces to my boy than he has ever seen since in Europe or America.
From A Boy's Town by William Dean Howells
Did not that position make him a sort of master, at any rate far superior to the princeliest puppet?
From The Cost by David Graham Phillips
Yes; by your pleasure, Poetry is Thought, in princeliest attire, Treading a measure.
From A Book of Epigrams by Various
The shade of the princeliest hero dwelling there the 1 Georg. lib. i.
From The Destiny of the Soul A Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life by William Rounseville Alger
And yet, in this princeliest of cities so to be selected by the noblest citizens as worthy of highest privilege, argues, methinks conclusively, an excellence forerunning exercise of rule.
From Agesilaus by Henry Graham Dakyns
He was at his princeliest estate—never would he be handsomer.
From Rose of Dutcher's Coolly by Hamlin Garland
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