princess
Americannoun
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princesses
plural
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a nonreigning female member of a royal family.
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History/Historical. a female sovereign or monarch; queen.
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the consort of a prince.
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(in Great Britain) a daughter or granddaughter (if the child of a son) of a king or queen.
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a woman considered to have the qualities or characteristics of a princess.
adjective
noun
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(in Britain) a daughter of the sovereign or of one of the sovereign's sons
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a nonreigning female member of a sovereign family
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the wife and consort of a prince
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any very attractive or outstanding woman
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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
Gender
See -ess.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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:
When one of Christopher’s cohorts is kidnapped and held for ransom, he and the former princess Anya Argen embark on a desperate quest to complete the kidnappers’ challenges and win their friend’s safety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Several polls conducted earlier this year found nearly half of Norway's population felt the crown princess could not become queen, even though it was always bound to happen.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
“How hokey,” you might say, “a modern princess trapped in a luxury high-rise.”
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
Just as audiences naturally refer to the Disney princess as “she,” she argues it feels natural to think of Tilly the same way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Plus, May was a princess, and Jack hated royalty...didn’t he?
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
For years, archaeologists have debated why some ancient Egyptian princesses were buried with weapons.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Despite experiencing significant physical trauma, the princesses appear to have received medical treatment that allowed them to recover.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Each trade has its kings and queens, its princes and princesses.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
Operating since 2002, Funky Divas & Dudes, like most of these party businesses, offers princesses, superheroes and other pop culture-inspired characters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
She even found an illustrated copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales with brightly colored pictures of pale princes and princesses that she put aside to take downstairs for later.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
