Meaning & use

Divine Right of Kings

proper noun·Advanced

The historical doctrine that a monarch's authority to rule comes directly from God, not from the people or a parliament.

See it in a sentence

Absolute monarchs invoked the Divine Right of Kings to justify ruling without a parliament's consent.

The Divine Right of Kings gradually lost influence as ideas about popular sovereignty spread.

A note on using this word

Often loosely called 'divine rights of kings,' though the traditional term uses the singular 'Right.'

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

popular sovereignty

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