regent

American  

[ree-juhnt] / ˈri dʒənt /

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.

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

• regental adjective
• regentship noun
• subregent noun

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

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

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

Thursday’s meeting was the first for newly appointed regent, David Schumacher, who is director of Washington’s Office of Financial Management and a former Boeing executive.

From Seattle Times • May 9, 2024

We had always known that the regent had the right to arrange marriages for us, but now it was no longer an abstract possibility.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• ruler