royal

See also: Royal

English

Alternative forms

• r. (abbreviation)
• roial, roiall, royall, royaler (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English royal, from Old French roial (Modern French royal), from Latin rēgālis, from rēx (“king”). Doublet of regal (“befitting a king”), real (“unit of currency”), ariary, and riyal. Cognate with Spanish real. Displaced native Old English cynelīċ.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɔɪəl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɔɪ(ə)l/

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɪəl
• Homophone: roil (certain accents)
• Hyphenation: roy‧al

Adjective

royal (comparative royaler or royaller, superlative royalest or royallest)

1. Of or relating to a monarch or his (or her) family.
   • 1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “A Court Ball”, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919, →OCLC, page 9:

     He tried to persuade Cicely to stay away from the ball-room for a fourth dance. […] But she said she must go back, and when they joined the crowd again her partner was haled off with a frightened look to the royal circle, […]

   • 2011, Marilyn Price, Grandma's Cookies, page 7:

     On the first Friday morning of his kingship he went into the kitchen and called for his royal chef.

2. Having the air or demeanour of a monarch; illustrious; magnanimous; of more than common size or excellence.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 175, column 2:

     How doth that royal Merchant good Anthonio;

3. (nautical) In large sailing ships, of a mast right above the topgallant mast and its sails.

   royal mast;  royal sail

4. (boxing, military) Free-for-all, especially involving multiple combatants.
5. (informal) Used as an intensifier.

   a royal pain in the neck

6. (chess) Describing a piece which, if captured, results in loss of game.

   Maharajah and the Sepoys pits a single royal amazon for white against a standard chess army for black.

Synonyms

• (of a monarch): kingly (of a king), monarchical, princely (of a prince), queenly (of a queen), regal, roy (obsolete)
• (having a monarch's air): majestic, regal, stately
• (informal intensifier): major

Derived terms

• Annapolis Royal
• Astronomer Royal
• ballade royal
• battle royal
• battle-royal
• blood royal
• chant royal
• coffee royal
• Farnham Royal
• Front Royal
• give the royal treatment
• half-royal
• imperial-royal
• kir royal
• mound royal
• Mount Royal
• non-royal
• pair royal
• Park Royal
• Port Royal
• Port Royal Island
• rhyme royal
• rhythm royal
• rime royal
• Royal
• royal abundance
• royal albatross
• royal antelope
• royal assent
• royal auction bridge
• royal blue
• royal borough
• royal bumps
• royal burgh
• royal cashmere
• royal chinchilla
• royal commission
• royal crown
• royal cubit
• royal cypher
• royal disease
• royal duck
• royal family
• royal fern
• royal fish
• royal flush
• royal flycatcher
• royal fork
• royal fox
• royal gala
• royal household
• royal icing
• royalism
• royalist
• royalistic
• royalistical
• royalistically
• royal jasmine
• royal jelly
• royal kite
• Royal Leamington Spa
• royally
• Royal Marine, Royal Marines
• royal marriage
• royal mast
• royal metal
• royal moth
• Royal Oak
• royal pain
• royal palm
• royal penguin
• royal penstemon
• royal poinciana
• royal progress
• royal purple
• royal python
• royal rat
• royal red prawn
• royal road
• royal scamp
• royal spoonbill
• royal standard
• royal stars
• royal straight flush
• royal stremma
• royal tennis
• royal tern
• royal touch
• royal train
• royalty
• royal walnut
• royal walnut moth
• royal wand
• royal warrant
• royal we
• royal wedding
• Royal Wootton Bassett
• Royal Wootton Bassett
• spur-royal
• super-royal
• Their Royal Majesties

 

Related terms

• real (“unit of currency”)
• realm

Translations

of or relating to a monarch or his family

Albanian: mbretëror (sq) Arabic: مَلَكِيّ (malakiyy), قَيْصَرِيّ (qayṣariyy) Aragonese: reyal Armenian: արքայական (hy) (arkʻayakan), թագավորական (hy) (tʻagavorakan) Aromanian: vãsilchescu Azerbaijani: kral (az) Basque: erregeren, errege- Belarusian: карале́ўскі m (karaljéŭski), ца́рскі (cárski) (related to tsars, tsarist) Bengali: রাজকীয় (bn) (rajokiẏo), শাহী (śahi) Bulgarian: кра́лски (králski), ца́рски (bg) (cárski) (related to tsars, tsarist) Catalan: reial (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 王室的 (zh) (wángshì de), 王的 (zh) (wáng de) Czech: královský (cs) Danish: royal (da), kongelig Dutch: koninklijk (nl) Esperanto: reĝa Estonian: kuninglik Extremaduran: rial Faroese: kongligur, kongaligur, konguligur Finnish: kuninkaallinen (fi) French: royal (fr), royale (fr) f Georgian: მეფის (mepis), მეფური (mepuri), სამეფო (samepo) German: königlich (de) Gothic: 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (reikeis) Greek: βασιλικός (el) (vasilikós) Ancient: βασιλικός (basilikós) Hebrew: מַלְכוּתִי (malkhutí) Hindi: शाही (hi) f (śāhī) Hungarian: királyi (hu) Icelandic: konunglegur (is) Ido: rejala (io) Indonesian: kerajaan (id) Irish: ríoga Italian: reale (it), regale (it) Japanese: 王の (ja) (おうの, ō no), 王室の (ja) (おうしつの, ōshitsu no) Kazakh: корольдық (koroldyq) Khmer: រាជ (km) (riəc) Korean: 왕의 (ko) (wang-ui), 왕실의 (wangsir-ui) Latin: rēgius (la), rēgālis Latvian: karalisks, ķēnišķīgs Leonese: reyal Lithuanian: karališkas (lt) Macedonian: кралски (kralski), царски (carski) (related to tsars, tsarist) Malay: diraja (ms) Malayalam: രാജകീയ (ml) (rājakīya) Marathi: शाही (śāhī) Middle English: royal Norman: rouoya Norwegian: Bokmål: kongelig Nynorsk: kongeleg Old English: cyne-, cynelīċ Old French: roial Old Occitan: reial Persian: شایگان (fa) (šâygân), شاهانه (fa) (šâhâne), سلطنتی (fa) (saltanati) Polish: królewski (pl) Portuguese: real (pt) Romanian: regal (ro) m, regală (ro) f Russian: короле́вский (ru) (korolévskij), ца́рский (ru) (cárskij) (related to tsars, tsarist) Sanskrit: राज्य (sa) (rājya) Scottish Gaelic: rìoghail Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: кра́љевскӣ, ца̑рскӣ (related to tsars, tsarist) Roman: králjevskī (sh), cȃrskī (sh) (related to tsars, tsarist) Slovak: kráľovský (sk) Slovene: kraljev, knežji Spanish: real (es), realengo m, regio (es) m, monárquico (es) m, palaciego (es) m, palaciano m Swedish: kunglig (sv) Tajik: шоҳӣ (šohi), подшоҳӣ (podšohi), шоҳона (tg) (šohona), султонӣ (sultoni) Thai: ราช (th) (râat) Turkish: kraliyet (tr) Ukrainian: королі́вський (korolívsʹkyj), ца́рський (uk) (cársʹkyj) (related to tsars, tsarist) Urdu: شاہی f (śahī) Uzbek: qirol (uz), podsho (uz) Vietnamese: hoàng gia (vi), quí tộc (vi) Volapük: (♂♀) regik (vo), (♂) hiregik, (♀) jiregik Welsh: brenhinol (cy) Yiddish: קעניגלעך (keniglekh)

having a monarch's air — see majestic

nautical: of a mast right above the topgallant mast and its sails

Finnish: röijeli-

Noun

royal (plural royals)

1. (somewhat informal, often capitalised) A royal person; a member of a royal family.
   • 2022 September 21, Philip Haigh, “Comment: Her Majesty's final journey”, in RAIL, number 966, page 3:

     Andy noted in RAIL 462: "The Royals are bound to have a great say in the decoration of the train and it speaks volumes for their regard for it that there are so many portraits of previous Royal Trains and items presented on trips. I sense they're extremely fond of it."

2. (paper, printing) A standard size of printing paper, measuring 25 by 20 inches.
3. (paper) A standard size of writing paper, measuring 24 by 19 inches.
4. (dated) The Australian decimal currency intended to replace the pound in 1966; was changed to "dollar" before it was actually circulated.
5. Any of various lycaenid butterflies.
6. The fourth tine of an antler's beam.
7. A stag with twelve points (six on each antler).
8. (nautical, sailing) In large sailing ships, square sail over the topgallant sail.
   • 1840, R[ichard] H[enry] D[ana], Jr., “CHAPTER XXXV”, in Two Years before the Mast. […] (Harper’s Family Library; no. CVI), New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers […], →OCLC:

     in ten days after we spoke the Solon, so rapid was his recovery, that, from lying helpless and almost hopeless in his berth, he was at the mast-heId, furling a royal.

9. An old English gold coin, the rial.
10. (military) A small mortar.
11. (card games) In auction bridge, a royal spade.
12. A tuft of beard on the lower lip.

    Synonym: imperial

13. (campanology) Bell changes rung on ten bells.

Translations

royal person

Dutch: royal (nl) m or f Esperanto: reĝulo Finnish: kuninkaallinen (fi) Georgian: დიდებული (ka) (didebuli), სამეფო ოჯახის წევრი (samepo oǯaxis c̣evri) German: Royal (de) m

standard size of printing paper

Finnish: royal (fi) Marathi: रॉयल m (rŏyal)

standard size of writing paper

Finnish: royal (fi) Marathi: रॉयल m (rŏyal)

intended Australian decimal currency

Finnish: royal (fi) Marathi: रॉयल n (rŏyal)

lycaenid butterfly

Finnish: sinisiipinen, sinisiipi

fourth tine of an antler's beam

French: trochure (fr) f

stag with twelve points (six on each antler)

nautical: a sail

Extremaduran: rial Finnish: röijeli, röijelipurje French: cacatois (fr) German: Royalsegel Norwegian: Bokmål: røyl m Portuguese: real (pt) Russian: бом-бра́мсель m (bom-brámselʹ) Spanish: real (es) Swedish: röjel (sv), bovenbramsegel, överbramsegel

old English gold coin — see rial

military: small mortar

See also

Other semantically related terms

• emperor
• imperial
• king
• monarch
• prince
• princess
• queen

Anagrams

• Aylor, aroyl, orlay

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ro‧yal

Noun

royal m or f (plural royals, diminutive [please provide])

1. royal

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French roial, from Old French roial, from earlier reial, real, from very early Old French (c. 880) regiel, from Latin rēgālis, from rēx (“king”) + -ālis. Equivalent to roi +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁwa.jal/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al
• Homophones: royale, royales

Adjective

royal (feminine royale, masculine plural royaux, feminine plural royales)

1. royal

Derived terms

• à l’oiseau royal
• aigle royal
• gelée royale
• manchot royal
• poisson royal
• quinte flush royale
• route royale
• royalement
• Son Altesse royale
• voie royale

 

Related terms

• reine
• roi
• royaume

Descendants

• → Belarusian: рая́ль (rajálʹ)
• → Bulgarian: роя́л (rojál)
• → Lithuanian: rojalis
• → Russian: роя́ль (rojálʹ)
• → Ukrainian: роя́ль (rojálʹ)

Further reading

• “royal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

German

Etymology

From French royal, from Latin regalis. Occasionally attested in the 19th century and perhaps earlier. More regular use dates from the latter half of the 20th century, reinforced by English royal; compare die Royals (“the British royal family”). The derivatives Royalist, Royalismus are older in German.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɔˈjaːl/, [ʁɔˈjaːl], [ʁo-]

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

royal (strong nominative masculine singular royaler, comparative royaler, superlative am royalsten)

1. royal

   Synonyms: königlich, majestätisch

Declension

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist royal	sie ist royal	es ist royal	sie sind royal
strong declension (without article)	nominative	royaler	royale	royales	royale
	genitive	royalen	royaler	royalen	royaler
	dative	royalem	royaler	royalem	royalen
	accusative	royalen	royale	royales	royale
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der royale	die royale	das royale	die royalen
	genitive	des royalen	der royalen	des royalen	der royalen
	dative	dem royalen	der royalen	dem royalen	den royalen
	accusative	den royalen	die royale	das royale	die royalen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein royaler	eine royale	ein royales	(keine) royalen
	genitive	eines royalen	einer royalen	eines royalen	(keiner) royalen
	dative	einem royalen	einer royalen	einem royalen	(keinen) royalen
	accusative	einen royalen	eine royale	ein royales	(keine) royalen

Positive forms of royal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist royaler	sie ist royaler	es ist royaler	sie sind royaler
strong declension (without article)	nominative	royalerer	royalere	royaleres	royalere
	genitive	royaleren	royalerer	royaleren	royalerer
	dative	royalerem	royalerer	royalerem	royaleren
	accusative	royaleren	royalere	royaleres	royalere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der royalere	die royalere	das royalere	die royaleren
	genitive	des royaleren	der royaleren	des royaleren	der royaleren
	dative	dem royaleren	der royaleren	dem royaleren	den royaleren
	accusative	den royaleren	die royalere	das royalere	die royaleren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein royalerer	eine royalere	ein royaleres	(keine) royaleren
	genitive	eines royaleren	einer royaleren	eines royaleren	(keiner) royaleren
	dative	einem royaleren	einer royaleren	einem royaleren	(keinen) royaleren
	accusative	einen royaleren	eine royalere	ein royaleres	(keine) royaleren

Comparative forms of royal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am royalsten	sie ist am royalsten	es ist am royalsten	sie sind am royalsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	royalster	royalste	royalstes	royalste
	genitive	royalsten	royalster	royalsten	royalster
	dative	royalstem	royalster	royalstem	royalsten
	accusative	royalsten	royalste	royalstes	royalste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der royalste	die royalste	das royalste	die royalsten
	genitive	des royalsten	der royalsten	des royalsten	der royalsten
	dative	dem royalsten	der royalsten	dem royalsten	den royalsten
	accusative	den royalsten	die royalste	das royalste	die royalsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein royalster	eine royalste	ein royalstes	(keine) royalsten
	genitive	eines royalsten	einer royalsten	eines royalsten	(keiner) royalsten
	dative	einem royalsten	einer royalsten	einem royalsten	(keinen) royalsten
	accusative	einen royalsten	eine royalste	ein royalstes	(keine) royalsten

Superlative forms of royal

Related terms

• Royalist
• Royalismus

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch royaal (“royal”), from Old French roial (Modern French royal), from Latin rēgālis, from rēx (“king”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈro.jal]
• Hyphenation: ro‧yal

Adjective

royal

1. (figurative) extravagant, lavish.

Derived terms

• beroyal-royal
• keroyalan
• royal-royalan
• teroyal

 

Further reading

• “royal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• roial, roiall, royall, royalle, roialle, roall

Etymology

From Old French roial, from Latin rēgālis. Doublet of ryal.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɔi̯al/

Adjective

royal (plural and weak singular royalle, comparative royaller, superlative royallyst) (Late Middle English)

1. royal, of a king,
2. kinglike, reminiscent of a king
3. majestic, appropriate for a king, kingly
4. opulent, expensive, fine
5. noble, princely

Related terms

• royalte

Descendants

• English: royal
• Scots: royal

References

• “roial, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-10.

Noun

royal (Late Middle English)

1. A royal; a member of royalty.
2. A noble; a member of nobility.

Descendants

• English: royal

References

• “roial, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-10.

Adverb

royal (Late Middle English)

1. wonderfully

References

• “roial, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-09.

Middle French

Alternative forms

• roial, real

Etymology

From Old French roial, from Latin rēgālem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rwɛˈjal/

Adjective

royal m (feminine singular royale, masculine plural royaulx, feminine plural royales)

1. royal (of or relating to a monarch or their family)

Descendants

• French: royal

Spanish

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /roˈʝal/ [roˈʝal]

• IPA^(key): (everywhere but Argentina and Uruguay) /roˈʝal/ [roˈʝal]
• IPA^(key): (Buenos Aires and environs) /roˈʃal/ [roˈʃal]
• IPA^(key): (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /roˈʒal/ [roˈʒal]

• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: ro‧yal

Noun

royal m or f by sense (plural royales)

1. royal (member of the British royal family)
2. (Chile) baking powder (dry leavening agent used in baking)

Further reading

• “royal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28