regnant
/ˈrɛɡnənt
/adjective
1 [often postpositive] Reigning; ruling: a queen regnant...
- In the long and rich history of the lands we now know as Spain, it comes as some surprise that only four women have ever reigned as queen regnant.
- Unlike her mother, she may never have truly ruled as queen regnant, but Joan's reign did have important ramifications for Spain.
- Even Louis XIV was careful to take advice on all important decisions, and men born to be king (for queens regnant were prohibited by French law) were carefully taught that counsel was of the essence of their sovereign authority.
2 formal Currently having the greatest influence; dominant: the regnant belief...
- We should not rake the current religious bias regnant in America today as necessarily universal for all cultures.
- Universities, in their unique way, should be radical institutions - radical in their expectation that ideas that call regnant views into question will be reflected on and debated seriously.
- Still, for nearly a decade, an anti-authoritarian style was regnant within American liberalism.
Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin regnant- 'reigning', from the verb regnare.