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.
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
India no longer has royals and Awadh, once a princely state ruled by semi-autonomous Muslim nawabs, now exists only as a historical region in central Uttar Pradesh.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 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
Once part of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore, it was known as "garden city" or a "pensioner's paradise".
From Barron's • Nov. 27, 2025
“Ten thousand swords makes for a princely gift, I grant you. Her Grace should be most pleased.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
