Princess

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /pɹɪnˈsÉ›s/, /ˈpɹɪnsÉ›s/
• US IPA: /ˈpɹɪnsÉ›s/, /ˈpɹɪnsɪs/

Origin

From Anglo-Norman princess, Middle French princesse, corresponding to prince + -ess.

Full definition of princess

Noun

1. A female member of a royal family other than a queen, especially a daughter or granddaughter. from 14th c.
• 1872, George MacDonald, The Princess and the GoblinShe did not cry long, however, for she was as brave as could be expected of a princess of her age.
2. A woman or girl who excels in a given field or class. from 14th c.
3. (now archaic) A female ruler or monarch; a queen. from 15th c.
• 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, V.12:And running all with greedie ioyfulnesse
  To faire Irena, at her feet did fall,
  And her adored with due humblenesse,
  As their true Liege and Princesse naturall ....
4. The wife of a prince; the female ruler of a principality. from 15th c.Princess Grace was the Princess of Monaco.
5. A young girl; used as a term of endearment. from 18th c.
6. (derogatory, chiefly US) A young girl or woman considered vain, spoiled or selfish; a prima donna. from 20th c.You're a real princess.
7. A tinted crystal marble used in children's games.
8. A type of court card in the Tarot pack, coming between the 10 and the prince (Jack).
9. A female lemur.

Usage notes

Possessive forms: princess's (main form used by academics and book publishers) The princess's golden hair.; princess' (main form used by newspapers) The princess' golden hair.

A princess is usually styled “Her Highness”. A princess in a royal family is “Her Royal Highness”; in an imperial family “Her Imperial Highness”.

Coordinate terms

• prince

Derived terms

Related terms

• princely
• principality

Anagrams

• crispens