throne

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: the chair of state of a sovereign or high dignitary (such as a bishop)
b
: the seat of a deity
2
: royal power and dignity : sovereignty
3
thrones plural : an order of angels see celestial hierarchy

throne

2 of 2

verb

throned; throning

transitive verb

1
: to seat on a throne
2
: to invest with kingly rank or power

intransitive verb

1
: to sit on a throne
2
: to hold kingly power

Examples of throne in a Sentence

Noun The king sat on his throne. He is next in line for the throne. the heir to the throne
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Related article Princess of Wales apologizes for editing Mother’s Day photograph During the event, the heir to the British throne also met staff and supporters of the award as well as presenting the Legacy Award to this year’s winners. Rob Picheta, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 The duo were seen being carried on thrones and also photographed greeting children behind a cage-like metal fence. Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Historically, the Duchy provides an income for the heir to the British throne to support him and his family, paying for public duties and staff costs, but Prince William has a modern vision for its possibilities. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Israel-Hamas War: Prince William, the heir to the British throne, called for an end to the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible in a rare, if measured, public statement on the conflict in the Middle East. Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 For her performance, alongside Brandi Carlile, Mitchell appeared appropriately sitting on a throne, holding a cane. USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 Following the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, King Charles used his first speech as monarch to pronounce his eldest son as the Prince of Wales, conferring the title traditionally given to the male heir to the British throne (and which King Charles held until his accession). Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Their decision did not impact Harry's now-fifth place in line for the British throne and the couple kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 God does not speak, sit on a throne, stretch out an arm, rest or become angry. Randy L. Friedman, The Conversation, 16 Feb. 2024
Verb
And like Clemson last year, LSU de-throned the defending champion in the title game (winning 42-25), though this one was on a 29-game winning streak. Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 14 Jan. 2020 California currently does not have an official sport, so don’t expect any de-throning drama from other athletes. Andrea Alonso, Los Angeles Magazine, 19 Jan. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'throne.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English trone, throne, from Anglo-French trone, from Latin thronus, from Greek thronos — more at firm

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of throne was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near throne

Cite this Entry

“Throne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throne. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

throne

1 of 2 noun
1
: the chair of state of a monarch or bishop
2
: royal power and dignity

throne

2 of 2 verb
throned; throning
: to seat on a throne : enthrone
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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