regent

American  

[ree-juhnt] / ˈri dʒənt /

noun

• regents
  plural

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.

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

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

5. (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.

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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.

regent British  

/ 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

3. a member of the governing board of certain schools and colleges

4. rare any person who governs or rules

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adjective

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

   a queen regent

2. rare governing, ruling, or controlling

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• regentship
  noun
• subregent
  noun
• regental
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• regents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of regent

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

Explanation

In a monarchy, if the king gets too sick to rule his country, a regent steps in to run things temporarily. When kings or queens aren't able to do their jobs — because they're ill, or often because they are children — trusted advisers called regents fill in. You can think of a regent as a substitute monarch. There's also a more permanent kind of regent who helps to run a business or university and can also be called a trustee or board member. In Latin, regent means "ruling," from the verb regere, "to rule."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

regent regents

It was only blocked after pushback from USC and Michigan, where one regent branded the deal a “payday loan.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

Speaking Wednesday, UC student regent Sonya Brooks said she opposed the plan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025

Sidoarjo town's regent claims the school's management had not obtained permits for the expansion of the building.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025

“The regents will make this decision with the input of the governor,” said former regent George Kieffer, who chaired the board during the first Trump administration and ended his term in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2025

During the trip, the regent advised me on my behavior and my future.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

University of California math and science professors have urged UC regents to reinstate entrance exams because so many freshmen were unprepared.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

During a regents meeting last week, faculty and students spoke passionately about UC admissions, including the course requirements.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Speaking to regents last week at UC San Francisco, California State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond described a “crowded curriculum” pulled in many directions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

During his three-year reign, the boy king was shielded from real power by a triumvirate of regents and advisers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

In the meantime, Sproul was able to push the regents to commit themselves as a board to more funding from university resources.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• ruler