regent

[ ree-juhnt ]
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noun
  1. a person who exercises the ruling power in a kingdom during the minority, absence, or disability of the sovereign.

  2. a ruler or governor.

  1. a member of the governing board of a state university or a state educational system.

  2. a university officer who exercises general supervision over the conduct and welfare of the students.

  3. (in certain Catholic universities) a member of the religious order who is associated in the administration of a school or college with a layperson who is its dean or director.

adjective
  1. acting as regent of a country; exercising ruling authority on behalf of a sovereign during their minority, absence, or disability (usually used postpositively):a prince regent.

Origin of regent

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin regent- (stem of regēns ), present participle of regere “to rule”

Other words from regent

  • re·gent·al, adjective
  • re·gent·ship, noun
  • sub·re·gent, noun

Words Nearby regent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use regent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for regent

regent

/ (ˈriːdʒənt) /


noun
  1. the ruler or administrator of a country during the minority, absence, or incapacity of its monarch

  2. (formerly) a senior teacher or administrator in any of certain universities

  1. US and Canadian a member of the governing board of certain schools and colleges

  2. rare any person who governs or rules

adjective
  1. (usually postpositive) acting or functioning as a regent: a queen regent

  2. rare governing, ruling, or controlling

Origin of regent

1
C14: from Latin regēns ruling, from regere to rule

Derived forms of regent

  • regental, adjective
  • regentship, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012