royalist

[roi-uh-list]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR royalist ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a supporter or adherent of a king or royal government, especially in times of rebellion or civil war.

(initial capital letter) a Cavalier adherent of Charles I of England.

a loyalist in the American Revolution; Tory.

(initial capital letter) an adherent of the house of Bourbon in France.

adjective

of or relating to royalists: royalist sympathies.

Origin of royalist

First recorded in 1635–45; royal + -ist

Related formsroy·al·ism, nounroy·al·is·tic, adjectivean·ti·roy·al·ism, nounan·ti·roy·al·ist, noun, adjectivenon·roy·al·ist, nounul·tra·roy·al·ist, noun, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for royalist

rightist, traditionalist, ultraconservative, diehard, obscurantist, royalist, counterrevolutionary, Tory, mossback, intransigent, reactionist, standpatter, die-hard

Examples from the Web for royalist

Contemporary Examples of royalist

Upon his death, his nine-year-old son was left with what remained of his royalist supporters.
England’s Greatest Knight Puts ‘Game of Thrones’ to Shame
William O’Connor
December 9, 2014
The Royalist is urgently contacting Russian Tatler to see this extraordinary document with our own eyes.
How To Fire Your Maid, By A Russian Oligarch
Tom Sykes
October 1, 2014
Kate is less than 12 weeks pregnant, a source confirmed to the Royalist.
Second Royal Baby for Kate
Tom Sykes
September 8, 2014
The Royalist has always maintained that Harry's red hair is a Spencer, not a Hewitt trait.
Prince Harry Definitely Not James Hewitt's Son According To DNA Test
Tom Sykes
September 6, 2014
No pictures of him cavorting naked in hotel rooms have yet been received by the Royalist.
Newly Single Harry Parties In Miami!
Tom Sykes
May 1, 2014

Historical Examples of royalist

All the convent was royalist, and Henri V. was their recognised sovereign.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
He may be a Republican, and he must uphold with warmth and conviction Royalist theories.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
Marked ye not that he claimed to have been the last Royalist who drew sword in England?
Micah Clarke
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Matthew Hale, as most of our readers must be aware, was a devoted Royalist.
Leading Articles on Various Subjects
Hugh Miller
Wilson—that was his name in those days—was a Royalist when I encountered him.
The Shadow of a Crime
Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for royalist

royalist

noun

a supporter of a monarch or monarchy, esp a supporter of the Stuarts during the English Civil War

informal an extreme reactionary or conservativean economic royalist

adjective Also: royalistic

of, characteristic of, or relating to royalists

Derived Formsroyalism, 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

Word Origin and History for royalist

1640s, from royal + -ist. In England, a partizan of Charles I and II during the Civil War; in the U.S., an adherent of British government during the Revolution; in France, a supporter of the Bourbons.