principality
Americannoun
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a state ruled by a prince, usually a relatively small state or a state that falls within a larger state such as an empire.
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the position or authority of a prince or chief ruler; sovereignty; supreme power.
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the rule of a prince of a small or subordinate state.
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British. the Principality, Wales.
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Theology. principalities,
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an order of angels.
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supramundane powers often in conflict with God. Ephesians 6:12.
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Obsolete. preeminence.
noun
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a territory ruled by a prince
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a territory from which a prince draws his title
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the dignity or authority of a prince
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of principality
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English principalite, from Old French, from Late Latin prīncipālitās “first place, superiority” ( Medieval Latin: “authority or territory of a prince”). See principal, -ity
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:
The visit to the principality on the French riviera will take place on March 28 and will be the first papal trip to the city state in modern times.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
That sparked a stunning comeback, with Denis Zakaria equalising before substitute Ansu Fati netted the winner with a third goal in the space of 11 second-half minutes for the principality side.
From Barron's ● Feb. 21, 2026
Yes, you can enjoy the principality of Monaco, with its casinos, yachts and Grand Prix, without a princely budget.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026
The circuit is a unique challenge for drivers, with roads around the principality narrow with tight turns and a mile-long tunnel.
From BBC ● May 21, 2025
Most of them, especially those who came to the principality as new men, when they recognized the difficulty resulting from the two opposing humours, turned to appeasing the soldiers, caring little about injuring the people.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
"Districts of the capital are not separate principalities where you can walk around in white gloves and neglect your duties," he said, adding that he would not tolerate "sabotage".
From Reuters ● Jun. 2, 2023
The mouths of great rivers linked the interiors and the coasts, and capitals and small principalities that developed there taxed the trade on goods traveling to and from the wider world.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
They begin: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come."
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2022
“There is absolutely nothing you or any of the other powers and principalities can do to stop us.”
From New York Times ● Jul. 8, 2022
Therefore, these princes of ours who have ruled their principalities for many years and who have subsequently lost them should not blame Fortune, but rather their own indolence.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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.
