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

Also from Modena was Chiara, who said "it was nice to see her looking well now" and described the princess as "strong and kind".

From BBC • May 14, 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

The princess will meet educators, parents, children, local representatives and business leaders during her visit to the city.

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

Jack opened his eyes again, though he found he couldn’t actually look at the princess.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

• czar
• emperor
• king
• monarch
• shah
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