princely
/ˈprɪnsli
/adjective (princelier, princeliest)
1Relating to a prince: the princely states of India...
- Just as her advancement of Essex in the early 1590s can be seen partly as a move to create a counterbalance to Burghley, so her promotion of Cecil was intended to dent Essex's political pretensions and remind him of her princely authority.
- Members of the princely families are the first class citizens.
- Of the five small kingdoms or princely states which the author explores in this fascinating Himalayan odyssey, only Nepal and Bhutan are fully independent nations.
1.1Suitable for a prince; very grand: princely accommodation...
- Since Thanjavur became a British residency in 1885 and the rulers were not granted a privy purse, the palace has nothing of the sweep and dimensions of the other grander princely houses in the country.
- Benevento, too, with its princely palatium and court, was another place where power was contested between families whose roots lay in many different parts of the southern territory.
- He explains the origin of this economic achievement in the concentration of big spending consumers in royal and princely capital cities, such as London and Paris.
Synonyms
magnificent, grand, impressive, imposing, splendid, superb, majestic, glorious, striking, spectacular, awe-inspiring, breathtaking;
sumptuous, opulent, fine, luxurious, deluxe, lavish, resplendent;
monumental, palatial, august, distinguished, noble, proud, stately, dignified, exalted, great, royal, regal, kingly, imperial;
rich, brilliant, beautiful, elegant, gorgeous
informal splendiferous, ritzy, posh
rare splendacious, magnolious
1.2(Of a sum of money) large or generous (often used ironically): he provided a first-class funeral for the princely sum of £2...
- I am receiving a meagre state pension: the princely sum of 18 pence a week.
- So, for the princely sum of 75 pence, I placed an advertisement.
- At 60 I was given the princely sum of 9 pence per week which has now gone up to 10 pence per week.
Synonyms
huge, enormous, generous, handsome, massive, gigantic, very big, very large, great, giant, colossal, mammoth, vast, immense, tremendous, mighty, stupendous, monumental, prodigious, mountainous, monstrous, substantial
informal mega, monster, whopping, whopping great, thumping, thumping great, humongous, jumbo, hulking, bumper, astronomical
British informal whacking, whacking great, ginormous
Derivatives
princeliness
- Every time he avowed that he wanted to be admired, not liked, Mr. Giuliani was, in Mr. Siegel's view, laying claim to his Machiavellian princeliness.
- Castilla's chaîné grand jetés reached forward past his finely pointed feet and stretched arms, covering every inch of the stage, and his artistry proved his ‘princeliness.’
- But the youth was not disposed unnecessarily to blazon his princeliness.