princess
Americannoun
-
a nonreigning female member of a royal family.
-
History/Historical. a female sovereign or monarch; queen.
-
the consort of a prince.
-
(in Great Britain) a daughter or granddaughter (if the child of a son) of a king or queen.
-
a woman considered to have the qualities or characteristics of a princess.
adjective
noun
-
(in Britain) a daughter of the sovereign or of one of the sovereign's sons
-
a nonreigning female member of a sovereign family
-
the wife and consort of a prince
-
any very attractive or outstanding woman
-
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
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.
China fell in love with its 'snow princess' at the Beijing 2022 Olympics where, as the poster girl of the Games, she duly delivered.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
After the princess' surgery, which Kensington Palace has said was successful, experts revealed cancer had been present.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2024
It’s also not clear how the news was leaked, but there have been concerns that the princess’ privacy was breached at The London Clinic, where she underwent abdominal surgery in January.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 3, 2024
Multiple outlets reported Wednesday that “up to three people” could be involved in allegedly accessing the princess’ medical records.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2024
With the utmost respect, he at last released his foot from the princess’ clinging grasp.
From The Hidden Force A Story of Modern Java by Couperus, Louis
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.
