princess

American  

[prin-sis, -ses, prin-ses] / ˈprɪn sɪs, -sɛs, prɪnˈsɛs /

noun

1. a nonreigning female member of a royal family.

2. History/Historical. a female sovereign or monarch; queen.

3. the consort of a prince.

4. (in Great Britain) a daughter or granddaughter (if the child of a son) of a king or queen.

5. a woman considered to have the qualities or characteristics of a princess.

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adjective

1. Also princesse. (of a woman's dress, coat, or the like) styled with a close-fitting bodice and flared skirt, cut in single pieces, as gores, from shoulder to hem.

princess British  

/ prɪnˈsɛs /

noun

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

2. a nonreigning female member of a sovereign family

3. the wife and consort of a prince

4. any very attractive or outstanding woman

5. Also called: princess dress.   princess line.  a style of dress with a fitted bodice and an A-line skirt that is shaped by seams from shoulder to hem without a seam at the waistline

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Gender

See -ess.

Other Word Forms

• princesslike
  adjective
• princessly
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of princess

1350–1400; Middle English princesse < Middle French. See prince, -ess

Explanation

A princess is the daughter of a king or queen, or the wife of a prince. Some children like to have princess parties because they get to wear fancy dresses, tiaras, and little plastic high heels. In countries that are monarchies, rulers are born into their positions and are typically called kings and queens. If they have a daughter, she’s a princess. Women who marry into these families can also become princesses. The popular image of a princess might be Cinderella dressed for the ball, but modern princesses look a lot more like ordinary people. Princess is the feminine form of prince, from the Latin princeps, "chief leader."

Example Sentences

Her mother described her as a "princess" in a statement read out at a vigil held for her at Alice Springs.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Hers is about a princess who longs for a chance to escape duty and become an ordinary person.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Catherine's solo trip, on 13 and 14 May, will support her campaign for early childhood education, with the princess "fact finding" about the Italian city's distinctive approach to early years learning.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

She brings a sort of Disney princess innocence and pluck to Anna, which makes sense considering she played Ariel in the live-action “The Little Mermaid.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

He wasn’t quite sure what he thought of her, but he knew it wasn’t bad, princess or no.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

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