Meaning & use
monarch
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Meanings
nouncountable
A king, queen or emperor who rules a country, usually for life and by inheritance.
Grammar: Refers to the ruler, not the system: the monarch rules, but the system is a monarchy.
Patterns
- the reigning monarch
- a monarch of something
The monarch waved to crowds from the palace balcony.
Britain's longest-reigning monarch served for seventy years.
The treaty was signed by the monarch and his ministers.
nouncountablebiology
A large orange and black butterfly of North America known for its long yearly migration.
Grammar: Also called a monarch butterfly.
Patterns
- a monarch butterfly
Thousands of monarchs gather in Mexico each winter.
We planted milkweed to attract monarchs to the garden.
The monarch has bold black veins on its orange wings.
nouncountablefigurativeliterary
A person or thing with the greatest power or importance in a particular area.
Grammar: Used figuratively: the monarch of the jungle.
Patterns
- monarch of something
The lion is called the monarch of the savanna.
He was the monarch of the local music scene.
The old oak was monarch of the whole valley.
Word forms
| plural | monarchs |
|---|
Common combinations
- reigning monarch
- The reigning monarch opens the new session of parliament.
- absolute monarch
- An absolute monarch holds power without legal limits.
- constitutional monarch
- A constitutional monarch acts within the law.
- crown a monarch
- The cathedral was used to crown the new monarch.
- monarch butterfly
- The monarch butterfly migrates thousands of miles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sovereign
- Sovereign is a formal word for the supreme ruler and also names a gold coin, but monarch is more common in general use.
- ruler
- Ruler is broader, since it includes presidents and dictators, while monarch means a hereditary king or queen.
- king
- King is male and specific, but monarch covers kings, queens and emperors.
- emperor
- Emperor means the ruler of an empire, while monarch does not require territories beyond one kingdom.
Opposites
Word family
- monarchy noun
- a state ruled by a monarch
- monarchical adjective
- relating to monarchy
- monarchist noun
- a supporter of monarchy
- monarchism noun
- belief in rule by monarchs
Commonly confused: monarch or monarchy? monarch or matriarch?
monarch vs monarchy
A monarchy is the system or country; a monarch is the ruler within it.
monarch vs matriarch
A matriarch is a female head of a family or group, but not a ruler of a country.
Practice
Which sentence uses monarch in its royal sense?
Choose one answer.
A monarch is a king or queen, so sitting on a throne fits. The other sentences give it impossible roles.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “monarch”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.