royal
Adjectiveroyaler, royaller, royalest, royallest
Noun pluralroyals
Formsroyaler, royaller, royalest, royallest
Pluralroyals
- 1Belonging to or connected with a king, queen, or their family.
The royal family waved to the crowd from the balcony.
She received a royal invitation to dine at the palace.
Usageroyal means it belongs to or is connected with a king or queen. regal usually means it looks grand, like a king or queen.
Similarmonarchical
- 2A member of a monarch's family, or a person with royal rank.
The royal stepped out of the car to greet waiting fans.
Several royals attended the charity dinner that evening.
UsageOften the royals: the king or queen's whole family.
Oppositecommoner
- 3Grand and impressive, like a king or queen, or larger and finer than usual.
Like a welcome so grand it feels fit for a king.
They were given a royal welcome the moment they arrived.
The hotel served a royal feast fit for a great celebration.
UsageOften in a royal welcome or a royal feast.
Similarsplendid, magnificent, grand, lavish, regal
Note
- 4Involving many fighters all at once, in a contest where everyone fights everyone.
The night ended with a battle royal between six wrestlers in the ring.
The food fight in the school hall turned into a battle royal, with everyone against everyone.
UsageUsed in battle royal: a fight with many people at once.
Less common meanings
- 5
- 6A name once planned for Australia's new money in 1966, but changed to dollar before it was used.
For a few months, Australians expected to spend royals instead of pounds.
Australia almost called its new money the royal, but chose the dollar instead.
Note
- 7Used for a game piece, like the king in chess, whose loss means losing the game.
- 8An old standard size of paper sheet, about 25 by 20 inches for printing or 24 by 19 for writing.
- 9A type of small, often brightly colored butterfly.
- 10A male deer that has twelve points on its antlers, six on each side.
- 11The fourth point that grows from the main stem of a deer's antler.
- 12Used for the small mast and sails near the very top of a tall sailing ship.
- 13A square sail set just above the topgallant sail on a large sailing ship.
- 14A gold coin used in England long ago, also known as the rial.
- 15In the old card game auction bridge, a spade counted as the top-ranking suit.
- 16A small mortar: a short gun that throws explosive shells high into the air.
- 17A small patch of beard grown just below the lower lip.
- 18A set of bell-ringing changes performed on ten bells.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
Latin rēx meant "king." From it came rēgālis, which gave an old French word, royal, and then the English word.