royalty

American  

[roi-uhl-tee] / ˈrɔɪ əl ti /

noun

plural

royalties

1. royal persons collectively.

2. royal status, dignity, or power; sovereignty.

   to be elevated to royalty.

3. a person of royal lineage; member of a royal family.

4. Archaic. royalties, prerogatives, rights, or symbolic emblems of a king, queen, or other sovereign.

5. a royal domain; kingdom; realm.

6. character or quality proper to or befitting a sovereign; nobility.

7. the most well-known and admired member or members of a particular field or category.

   Her parents are Hollywood royalty. The brand is royalty among champagnes.

8. a compensation or portion of the proceeds paid to the owner of a right, as a patent or oil or mineral right, for the use of it.

9. an agreed portion of the income from a work paid to its author, composer, etc., usually a percentage of the retail price of each copy sold.

10. a royal right, as over minerals, granted by a sovereign to a person or corporation.

11. the payment made for such a right.

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royalty British  

/ ˈrɔɪəltɪ /

noun

1. the rank, power, or position of a king or queen

2. 1. royal persons collectively

   2. one who belongs to the royal family

3. any quality characteristic of a monarch; kingliness or regal dignity

4. a percentage of the revenue from the sale of a book, performance of a theatrical work, use of a patented invention or of land, etc, paid to the author, inventor, or proprietor

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royalty Cultural  

1. A payment made for some right or privilege, as when a publisher pays a royalty to an author for the author's granting the publisher the right to sell the author's book.

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Other Word Forms

• nonroyalty noun
• preroyalty noun

Etymology

Origin of royalty

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English roialte, from Middle French, Old French roialté, derivative of roial; royal, -ty ²

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, Vivtex is eligible to receive up to $2.1 billion—including an upfront sum, research funding and additional payments tied to certain targets being reached—as well as royalties on future sales, they added.

From The Wall Street Journal

In 2011, the late Labour MP Paul Flynn, a staunch republican, called on MPs "to remove the bandages from our mouths" when it came to royalty.

From BBC

Vir is also eligible for up to $1.37 billion in future milestone payments, along with tiered royalties on sales outside the U.S.

From Barron's

Vir is also eligible for up to $1.37 billion in future milestone payments, along with tiered royalties on sales outside the U.S.

From Barron's

Tens of thousands of curious fans came out to cheer the European soccer royalty, not the local teams they were playing against.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fee
• payment
• percentage
• portion
• share