1
: a person who reigns over a kingdom or empire: such as
a
: a sovereign ruler
b
: a constitutional (see constitutional entry 1 sense 3) king or queen
2
: one that holds preeminent position or power
cotton, monarch of the textile world—
Wall Street Journal
Wall Street JournalExamples of monarch in a Sentence
a new history of French monarchs
the ruling monarch of Britain at that time was Queen Elizabeth I
Recent Examples on the Web
The name is inspired by the Spanish royal family’s practice of gifting pairs of merino sheep to other monarchs to honor its relationships.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 29 May 2025
Charles has signaled his support for Canada recently, but the monarch faces a tricky balancing act as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is working to keep Trump onside over Ukraine and trade ties.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 28 May 2025
On May 26, the Danish monarch presented Count Nikolai of Monpezat and Count Felix of Monpezat with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 28 May 2025
While delivering the Speech from the Throne—a duty that was last performed by a reigning monarch in Canada nearly 50 years ago—King Charles emphasized Canada's resilience while drawing on the country's national anthem to underscore his message.
—Sonam Sheth
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for monarch
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Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 29 May 2025
Charles has signaled his support for Canada recently, but the monarch faces a tricky balancing act as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is working to keep Trump onside over Ukraine and trade ties.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 28 May 2025
On May 26, the Danish monarch presented Count Nikolai of Monpezat and Count Felix of Monpezat with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 28 May 2025
While delivering the Speech from the Throne—a duty that was last performed by a reigning monarch in Canada nearly 50 years ago—King Charles emphasized Canada's resilience while drawing on the country's national anthem to underscore his message.
—Sonam Sheth
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for monarch
Cite this Entry
“Monarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarch. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
monarch
noun
mon·arch
ˈmän-ərk 
-ˌärk
1
: a person who reigns over a kingdom or empire: as
a
: a ruler who has total power
absolute monarch
b
: someone who acts primarily as chief of state and who has only limited powers
constitutional monarch
2
: someone or something like a monarch
the oak is the monarch of the forest
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