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. Har·old S(mith) [har, -, uh, ld , smith], 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. Prince1958MUSMUSIC: rock singerMUSIC: songwriterMUSIC: record producer 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)

prince

²

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈprinceˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• princeless adjective
• princeship 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

“It’s 2021 and we are still fighting for bits and pieces of equality,” Prince wrote.

From Time

MBS, as the prince is known, “viewed Khashoggi as a threat to the Kingdom,” the report asserts, and “broadly supported using violent measures if necessary to silence him.”

From Time

The prince will also no longer serve as captain general of the Royal Marines, a role passed to him from his grandfather, Prince Philip, who had held the post for 64 years.

From Washington Post

“There’s going to be a substantial opportunity for companies to create the tools to allow different types of computing paradigms to exist to support all the different regulatory regimes that are out there,” Prince said.

From Fortune

“We’ve been hearing from a number of publishers in Europe that they want to make sure they’re tracking as little as possible, while still trying to understand how their content is being received,” Prince said.

From Fortune

The new claims present numerous big problems for Prince Andrew.

From The Daily Beast

Prince may have pranced around like a carefree libertine onstage, but in rehearsal he was more drill sergeant than sprite.

From The Daily Beast

Prince George and his parents are enjoying their first Christmas in their magnificent country home.

From The Daily Beast

And in a big departure from established royal protocol, Prince George might even get a—gasp—present to open on Christmas Day.

From The Daily Beast

The biggest misfire here, though, was the notion that anyone would believe that this dude looked at all like Prince Harry.

From The Daily Beast

And it would be hard indeed, if so remote a prince's notions of virtue and vice were to be offered as a standard for all mankind.

From Project Gutenberg

At the end of the campaign the Emperor justly rewarded his lieutenant by creating him Prince of Wagram.

From Project Gutenberg

He professed both to abominate and despise all mystery, refinement, and intrigue, either in a prince or a minister.

From Project Gutenberg

You will follow the suite of my daughter to Spain, and you will become the bosom Counsellor of the wife of your Prince?

From Project Gutenberg

Thereon the major-general took on himself to nominate Prince Eugne as Murat's successor.

From Project Gutenberg