king
noun
ˈkiŋ 
1
a
: a male monarch of a major territorial unit
especially : one whose position is hereditary and who rules for life
b
: a paramount chief
2
capitalized : god, christ
… to worship the King, the Lord of hosts … 
Zechariah 14:16 (Revised Standard Version)
Zechariah 14:16 (Revised Standard Version)3
: one that holds a preeminent position
especially : a chief among competitors
the cattle kings rode up from the south Alan Moorehead
Alan Moorehead even if no longer king, cotton remains the chief cash crop Howell Walker
Howell Walker 4
: the principal piece of each color in chess having the power to move ordinarily one square in any direction and to capture opposing pieces but being obliged never to enter or remain in check
5
: a playing card marked with a stylized figure of a king
6
: a checker that has been crowned
7
: chinook salmon
Synonyms
- baron
- captain
- czar
- tsar
- tzar
- lion
- lord
- magnate
- mogul
- monarch
- Napoleon
- prince
- tycoon
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
He pledged his loyalty to the king and queen. the reign of King James He became king at a young age. He's widely regarded as the king of soul music. He was voted king of the prom. The lion is known as the king of the jungle. She won the game by checkmating his king. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Across seven cabin categories, rooms range from 268 to more than 1,000 square feet, and each has a French balcony or private veranda, heated bathroom floor and king-size bed. Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2022 The motor coach's primary bedroom includes a king-size bed, a large shower and a closet. Robyn A. Friedman, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 With a taste for single malts and cigars, Jhunjhunwala liked to live life king-size. Naazneen Karmali, Forbes, 14 Aug. 2022 Plus, the pillow comes in both queen and king-size options, both of which are 20 percent off now. Annie Burdick, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2022 As Laena and Viserys take a walk in the gardens together, the king is visibly uncomfortable. Erica Gonzales, ELLE, 28 Aug. 2022 The future king seemed to reference a running joke from 2012, when Scott accidentally knocked the prince to the ground during a charity soccer game. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2022 The king once again lacks a male heir, oblivious to his fierce dragonrider daughter, Rhaenyra's (Milly Alcock), potential as anything other than an ornament to the court. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Aug. 2022 After agonizing for a time, the king chooses the latter, with the blood loss from the grisly procedure killing the queen. Brian Lowry, CNN, 22 Aug. 2022 See More
Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2022 The motor coach's primary bedroom includes a king-size bed, a large shower and a closet. Robyn A. Friedman, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 With a taste for single malts and cigars, Jhunjhunwala liked to live life king-size. Naazneen Karmali, Forbes, 14 Aug. 2022 Plus, the pillow comes in both queen and king-size options, both of which are 20 percent off now. Annie Burdick, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2022 As Laena and Viserys take a walk in the gardens together, the king is visibly uncomfortable. Erica Gonzales, ELLE, 28 Aug. 2022 The future king seemed to reference a running joke from 2012, when Scott accidentally knocked the prince to the ground during a charity soccer game. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2022 The king once again lacks a male heir, oblivious to his fierce dragonrider daughter, Rhaenyra's (Milly Alcock), potential as anything other than an ornament to the court. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Aug. 2022 After agonizing for a time, the king chooses the latter, with the blood loss from the grisly procedure killing the queen. Brian Lowry, CNN, 22 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English cyning; akin to Old High German kuning king, Old English cynn kin
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing king
Kids Definition
king
noun
ˈkiŋ
1
: a male ruler of a country who usually inherits his position and rules for life
2
: a person or thing that is better or more important than all others
the king of jazz
3
: the chief piece in the game of chess
4
: a playing card bearing the picture of a king
5
: a piece in checkers that has reached the opponent's back row
Biographical Definition
King 1 of 8
biographical name (1)
ˈkiŋ
B. B. 1925–2015 originally Riley B. King American blues musician
King
2 of 8biographical name (2)
Billie Jean 1943– née Moffitt American tennis player
King
3 of 8biographical name (3)
Ernest Joseph 1878–1956 American admiral
King
4 of 8biographical name (4)
Martin Luther, Jr. 1929–1968 American clergyman and civil rights leader
King
5 of 8biographical name (5)
Rufus 1755–1827 American politician and diplomat
King
6 of 8biographical name (6)
Stephen (Edwin) 1947– American writer
King
7 of 8biographical name (7)
William Lyon Mackenzie 1874–1950 Canadian statesman; prime minister (1921–26; 1926–30; 1935–48)
King
8 of 8biographical name (8)
William Rufus de Vane 1786–1853 American politician; vice president of the U.S. (1853)
king
noun
1
as in tycoon
a person of rank, power, or influence in a particular field the undisputed king of automobile sales for the entire metropolitan area Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- tycoon
- magnate
- prince
- lord
- monarch
- baron
- czar
- lion
- star
- captain
- mogul
- tsar
- tzar
- Napoleon
- nawab
- nabob
- kahuna
- big boy
- big shot
- heavy
- god
- personage
- heavyweight
- fat cat
- big wheel
- celebrity
- bigwig
- big gun
- personality
- superstar
- biggie
- honcho
- bigfoot
- big cheese
- main man
- supremo
- notable
- demigod
- deity
- mover and shaker
- figure
- poo-bah
- pooh-bah
- VIP
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- subordinate
- lightweight
- underling
- nobody
- inferior
- small-timer
- half-pint
- nothing
- zero
2
as in Lord
capitalized the being worshipped as the creator and ruler of the universe all bowed their heads in worship to the King Synonyms & Similar Words
- Lord
- God
- deity
- Almighty
- Father
- Divinity
- Jahveh
- Yahveh
- Jehovah
- Yahweh
- Godhead
- Supreme Being
- Providence
- Everlasting
- Creator
- Eternal
- Allah
- Author
- Maker