Illustration of scepter
- scepter 1
scepter
1 of 2noun
scep·ter ˈsep-tər 
1
: a staff or baton borne by a sovereign as an emblem of authority
2
: royal or imperial authority : sovereignty
scepter
2 of 2verb
sceptered; sceptering ˈsep-t(ə-)riŋ
transitive verb
: to invest with the scepter in token of royal authority
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Shanon Maglente, Good Housekeeping, 14 Aug. 2022 In this niche media empire, Ben is king; his scepter is his blue Twitter checkmark. Natalia Winkelman, BostonGlobe.com, 26 July 2022 Tyrants and leaders of democratic societies alike require symbols to do much of the work of gathering, maintaining and extending power—especially the kind of power that can last long after the scepter has passed to another. William Tipper, WSJ, 23 May 2022 Peter Murphy stormed the stage, scepter in hand, before the house lights could be dimmed. Robert Ham, SPIN, 18 May 2022 Repeal the term limits and give him a scepter to carry. Grayson Quay, The Week, 7 Apr. 2022 Nearby is the venue for ski jumping, a complex built to resemble a ceremonial scepter popular in the Qing dynasty, complete with a 6,000-seat stadium at the bottom that is supposed to hold soccer matches after the Olympics. New York Times, 22 Jan. 2022 Minted around 1257, the nearly one-inch coin depicts the English king, who ruled from 1216 to 1272, sitting on an ornate throne while holding an orb and scepter. David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Jan. 2022 In that image, outlined by copper, the former slave holds a scepter and wears a crown. Shelley Puhak, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2022 See More
Noun
Put on her iconic headpiece and don't forget your scepter. Shanon Maglente, Good Housekeeping, 14 Aug. 2022 In this niche media empire, Ben is king; his scepter is his blue Twitter checkmark. Natalia Winkelman, BostonGlobe.com, 26 July 2022 Tyrants and leaders of democratic societies alike require symbols to do much of the work of gathering, maintaining and extending power—especially the kind of power that can last long after the scepter has passed to another. William Tipper, WSJ, 23 May 2022 Peter Murphy stormed the stage, scepter in hand, before the house lights could be dimmed. Robert Ham, SPIN, 18 May 2022 Repeal the term limits and give him a scepter to carry. Grayson Quay, The Week, 7 Apr. 2022 Nearby is the venue for ski jumping, a complex built to resemble a ceremonial scepter popular in the Qing dynasty, complete with a 6,000-seat stadium at the bottom that is supposed to hold soccer matches after the Olympics. New York Times, 22 Jan. 2022 Minted around 1257, the nearly one-inch coin depicts the English king, who ruled from 1216 to 1272, sitting on an ornate throne while holding an orb and scepter. David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Jan. 2022 In that image, outlined by copper, the former slave holds a scepter and wears a crown. Shelley Puhak, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English sceptre, from Anglo-French septre, from Latin sceptrum, from Greek skēptron staff, scepter, from skēptesthai to prop oneself — more at shaft
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1526, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
scepter
noun
scep·ter ˈsep-tər
: a rod carried by a ruler as a sign of authority
a royal scepter
scepter
noun
as in dominion
royal power over a country Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- dominion
- imperium
- reign
- lordship
- hegemony
- domination
- ascendance
- sovereignty
- mastery
- supremacy
- arm
- dominance
- ascendancy
- primacy
- predominance
- preeminence
- ascendence
- ascendency
- superiority
- control
- sway
- clutch
- predominancy
- sovranty
- authority
- management
- grip
- jurisdiction
- takeover
- command
- hold
- prerogative
- clout
- right
- direction
- might
- privilege
- choke hold
- importance
- eminence
- pull
- moment
- weight
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- weakness
- helplessness
- impotence
- powerlessness
- impotency