principality

CEFRB2

/prˌɪnsɪˈpælɪti/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A small country or region ruled by a prince.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A spiritual being, specifically in Christian angelology, the third lowest level of angels, ranked above archangels and below powers.

Examples

  • Andorra is a small principality situated between Spain and France.

  • The Principality of Liechtenstein was established within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2

Also pronounced

  • /pɹɪnsɪˈpælɪti/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The state of being a prince or ruler; sovereignty, absolute authority.

  2. A region or sovereign nation headed by a prince or princess.

  3. The state of being principal; pre-eminence.

More examples

In context

  • The affair led to a crisis in relations between France and the Principality, with the French Government overruling Prince Rainier by refusing to extend the mandate of Monaco's Chief Prosecutor

  • At this time Russia consisted of a dozen or so principalities, which were frequently at war with one another.

  • The principality of Freedonia (www.freedonia.org), an earnest collective of secessionist superlibertarians based in Boston, falls into the first category.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Monaco is a small blank ruled by a prince, not a king.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English principalte, principalite, from Anglo-Norman principalté, Middle French principalté, from Late Latin prīncipālitās, from Latin prīncipālis (“principal”) + -tās. Equivalent to principal + -ity.