William III

American  

noun

1. William III of Orange, 1650–1702, stadholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands 1672–1702; king of England 1689–1702, joint ruler with his wife, Mary II.

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William III British  

noun

1. known as William of Orange. 1650–1702, stadholder of the Netherlands (1672–1702) and king of Great Britain and Ireland (1689–1702). He was invited by opponents of James II to accept the British throne (1688) and ruled jointly with his wife Mary II (James' daughter) until her death in 1694

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Example Sentences

England’s King William III, who also held the Scottish crown, looked the other way, hoping to win over the Spanish in his campaign against France.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

The date commemorates the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William III - also known as King Billy and William of Orange - defeated Catholic King James II.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2024

When William III became King of England in 1689, he immediately negotiated the release of all his subjects enslaved in Algeria, including Joyce.

From National Geographic • Jan. 11, 2024

The plaque explains that this is “the third Trinity Church on this site. The first, erected in 1698 under the royal charter of King William III, was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1776.”

From Washington Post • Mar. 15, 2023

He remained in England after the king’s flight and was imprisoned, but after his release he continued to show his hostility to William III.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 8 "Hudson River" to "Hurstmonceaux" by Various