princess

American  

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

noun

princesses plural

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

Derived Forms

• princesslike
  adjective
• princessly
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• princesses
  plural

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

To coincide with the publication of the essay, the Royal Foundation also released several new images of the princess on her trip.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

"Children always give me hope. Their natural openness, their curiosity about the simplest of things, and their ability to wonder, dream and play remind me of the very best qualities of humanity," the princess writes.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

I looked at Tina — she was blond, she was having a great time, she kind of looked like a princess.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

At Chulalongkorn Hospital, where Bajrakitiyabha had been receiving treatment, mourners gathered Friday to pay their respects -- some clutching portraits of the late princess.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

Instead, he took off after the princess, sprinting as fast as he could.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

• czar
• emperor
• king
• monarch
• shah
• sultan