prince definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

prince [ prinss ] (plural princes)

noun

Definition:

1. royal man or boy: a man or boy in a royal family, especially a son of a reigning king or queen

2. male ruler: a man who rules a principality

3. European nobleman: a nobleman in some European countries, usually of a rank below duke

4. highly regarded man: a man or boy who is ranked highly in his field

Robin Hood was the prince of thieves.

5. good man: a man who is outstanding, especially because of his generous or chivalrous nature ( informal )

[12th century. Via French< Latin princeps "somebody who takes first place"]

prince·dom noun

Cultural Note


	The Prince, a political treatise (1513) by Italian writer Niccolò Machiavelli. Machiavelli based this guide to gaining and maintaining political power on his study of history and his experience of politics. The first work of its kind to present a political philosophy derived from a study of human behavior rather than traditional ethics, it gained lasting notoriety by justifying the judicious use of ruthlessness and deceit.