throne

American  

[throhn] / θroʊn /

noun

1. the chair or seat occupied by a sovereign, bishop, or other exalted personage on ceremonial occasions, usually raised on a dais and covered with a canopy.

2. the office or dignity of a sovereign.

   He came to the throne by succession.

3. the occupant of a throne; sovereign.

4. sovereign power or authority.

   to address one's pleas to the throne.

5. an episcopal office or authority.

   the diocesan throne.

6. mourners' bench.

7. thrones, an order of angels.

8. Facetious. a toilet.

---

verb (used with or without object)

throned, throning

1. to sit on or as on a throne.

throne British  

/ θrəʊn /

noun

1. the ceremonial seat occupied by a monarch, bishop, etc on occasions of state

2. the power, duties, or rank ascribed to a royal person

3. a person holding royal rank

4. (plural; often capital) the third of the nine orders into which the angels are traditionally divided in medieval angelology

---

verb

1. to place or be placed on a throne

throne Idioms  

1. see power behind the throne.

---

Other Word Forms

• throneless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of throne

1175–1225; Middle English < Latin thronus < Greek thrónos high seat; replacing Middle English trone < Old French < Latin, as above

Explanation

The oversized, bejeweled chair on which a king or queen sits is called a throne. Monarchs — kings and queens — sit on thrones on special ceremonial occasions, and so do religious figures such as bishops and popes. You can also describe the act of naming a new monarch this way: "Queen Elizabeth II of England was throned in 1952." The word throne has its root in the Greek thronos, "chair or elevated seat." In ancient Greek mythology, Zeus was said to sit on a special heavenly seat, the Dios thronous.

Example Sentences

For the past few years, Trout looked like a shell of himself, surpassed by a new crop of superstars ready to claim his throne.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

The Princess of Wales, whose husband Prince William is the heir to the British throne, will be welcomed in the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

Wallpaper and color and throw pillows can make an old sofa look and feel like a throne.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

Security is a delicate subject for Prince Harry – who is fifth in line to the British throne – after he lost a court appeal against the downgrading of his protection while in the UK.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Shaking his head, sighing and sputtering, the King collapsed onto a throne carved from rock.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander