Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

prince

1 American  
[prins] / prɪns /

noun

  1. a nonreigning male member of a royal family.

  2. History/Historical. a sovereign or monarch; king.

  3. (in Great Britain) a son or grandson (if the child of a son) of a king or queen.

  4. the English equivalent of any of various titles of nobility in other countries.

  5. a holder of such a title.

  6. the ruler of a small state, as one actually or nominally subordinate to a suzerain.

    Monaco is ruled by a prince.

  7. a person or thing that is chief or preeminent in any class, group, etc..

    a merchant prince.

  8. a person possessing admirably fine and genial characteristics.

    He is a prince of a man.
Prince 2 American  
[prins] / prɪns /

noun

  1. Harold S(mith) Hal, 1928–2019, U.S. stage director and producer.

  2. Prince Rogers Nelson, 1958–2016, U.S. singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

  3. a male given name.

prince 1 British  
/ prɪns /

noun

  1. (in Britain) a son of the sovereign or of one of the sovereign's sons

  2. a nonreigning male member of a sovereign family

  3. the monarch of a small territory, such as Monaco, usually called a principality, that was at some time subordinate to an emperor or king

  4. any sovereign; monarch

  5. a nobleman in various countries, such as Italy and Germany

  6. an outstanding member of a specified group

    a merchant prince

  7. informal a generous and charming man

"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
Prince 2 British  
/ prɪns /

noun

  1. full name Prince Rogers Nelson. born 1958, US rock singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. His albums include Dirty Mind (1981), Purple Rain (1984), Parade (1986), and Sign o' the Times (1987)

"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

Other Word Forms

  • princeless adjective
  • princelike adjective
  • princeship noun

Etymology

Origin of prince

1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Latin prīncip- (stem of prīnceps ) first, principal (adj.), principal person, leader (noun), equivalent to prīn- for prīmus prime + -cep- (combining form of capere to take) + -s nominative singular ending

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

No one knew which vehicle might be carrying the former prince - and no one wanted to miss getting the shot.

From BBC

It marked the former prince's visit to the city in 2018 for the unveiling of renovations to the A-listed city centre building.

From BBC

“Kate Fox at the Altar” described for the American public the wedding’s dresses, décor, and celebrity sightings: a German prince and the Duke of Wellington’s son.

From Literature

The prince and princess, both wearing daffodils on their lapels, also visited a forge and met nursery children aged three and four waiting with signs they had drawn.

From BBC

The interviews come as British police last week arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, the most high-profile person caught up so far in the unfolding saga.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.