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regnal

American  
[reg-nl] / ˈrɛg nl /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a sovereign, sovereignty, or reign.

    the second regnal year of Louis XIV.


regnal British  
/ ˈrɛɡnəl /

adjective

  1. of a sovereign, reign, or kingdom

  2. designating a year of a sovereign's reign calculated from the date of his or her accession

"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

Etymology

Origin of regnal

1605–15; < Medieval Latin rēgnālis, equivalent to Latin rēgn ( um ) rule, kingdom + -ālis -al 1; see reign

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:

Among the discoveries is a copy of a well-known regnal list that records both mythical and historical rulers.

From Science Daily ● May 5, 2026

Centuries ago, Swedish kings based their regnal numbers on a list of sovereigns that was partly made up.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2023

Tomorrow is the coronation of King Charles III, which I’ve come to understand as a sort of regnal equivalent of a bar mitzvah ceremony.

From New York Times ● May 5, 2023

George VI was of course christened Albert, at least in part to mollify Queen Victoria, but went with tradition when suddenly obliged to choose a regnal name.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2013

It was established and set going as an era by his successor, who continued the reckoning so started, instead of breaking it by introducing another according to his own regnal years.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 4 "Hero" to "Hindu Chronology" by Various

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