King vs. Monarch — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 27, 2023
A King is a male ruler of a kingdom, while a Monarch is a general term for a sovereign head of state, either male or female.
Difference Between King and Monarch
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
King and Monarch are terms rooted in the realm of royalty, but they're distinguishable in their scope.
A King specifically refers to a male sovereign ruler of a state, usually inheriting his position by right of birth. Conversely, Monarch is a gender-neutral term, inclusive of both kings and queens, and denotes the reigning sovereign of a state or nation.
Essentially, while all kings are monarchs, not all monarchs are kings. For instance, a reigning queen, like Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, is a Monarch but not a King.
Additionally, King conveys a specific gender and often associates with certain historical and cultural connotations distinct to various nations. In contrast, Monarch is a more encompassing term, applicable across various cultures and historical contexts, irrespective of gender.
Comparison Chart
Primary Definition
A male sovereign ruler
A sovereign head of state, male or female
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Gender Specificity
Male only
Gender-neutral
Universality
Specific cultural and historical connotations
Applicable across cultures and histories
Grammatical Role
Typically a noun
Typically a noun
Examples
King Arthur, King Louis XVI
Monarchs of Europe, Monarch butterflies
Compare with Definitions
King
The most important chess piece.
Protecting the king is the primary objective.
Monarch
A person or thing that holds a dominant position.
He's considered the monarch of the tech industry.
King
Predominant or preeminent in a particular area.
He's the king of comedy in Hollywood.
Monarch
A sovereign head of state, especially a king, queen, or emperor.
The monarch attended the state ceremony.
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
Monarch
A large migratory orange and black butterfly.
The Monarch butterfly migrates thousands of miles.
King
A male sovereign.
Monarch
An autocrat or absolute ruler.
The country was ruled by a monarch with no parliament.
King
One that is supreme or preeminent in a particular group, category, or sphere
"In many countries, soccer is the king of sports" (Cameron W. Barr).
Monarch
A preeminent specimen or example.
The painting is the monarch of his collection.
King
A man chosen as the winner of a contest or the honorary head of an event
A homecoming king.
Monarch
A monarch is a head of state for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power in the state, or others may wield that power on behalf of the monarch.
King
Abbr. K A playing card bearing the figure of a king, ranking above a queen.
Monarch
A sole and absolute ruler.
King
Abbr. K The principal chess piece, which can move one square in any direction and must be protected against checkmate.
Monarch
A sovereign, such as a king or empress, often with constitutionally limited authority
A constitutional monarch.
King
A piece in checkers that has been moved to the last row on the opponent's side of the board and been crowned, thus becoming free to move both forward and backward.
Monarch
One that commands or rules
"I am monarch of all I survey" (William Cowper).
King
Kings(used with a sing. verb) See Table at Bible.
Monarch
One that surpasses others in power or preeminence
"Mont Blanc is the monarch of the mountains" (Byron).
King
A king-size bed.
Monarch
A monarch butterfly.
King
Principal or chief, as in size or importance.
Monarch
The ruler of an absolute monarchy or the head of state of a constitutional monarchy.
King
Of or relating to a king-size bed
King sheets.
A king bed skirt.
Monarch
The monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, and others of genus Danaus, found primarily in North America, so called because of the designs on its wings.
King
To make (a piece in checkers) into a king; crown.
Monarch
(Aboriginal English) A police officer.
King
A male monarch; a man who heads a monarchy. If it is an absolute monarchy, then he is the supreme ruler of his nation.
Henry VIII was the king of England from 1509 to 1547.
Monarch
(often capitalised) A stag which has sixteen or more points or tines on its antlers.
King
A powerful or majorly influential person.
Howard Stern styled himself as the "king of all media".
Monarch
The chief or best thing of its kind.
King
Something that has a preeminent position.
In times of financial panic, cash is king.
Monarch
Any bird of the family Monarchidae.
King
A component of certain games.
Monarch
A sole or supreme ruler; a sovereign; the highest ruler; an emperor, king, queen, prince, or chief.
He who reignsMonarch in heaven, . . . upheld by old repute.
King
(chess) The principal chess piece, that players seek to threaten with unavoidable capture to result in a victory by checkmate. It is often the tallest piece, with a symbolic crown with a cross at the top.
Monarch
One superior to all others of the same kind; as, an oak is called the monarch of the forest.
King
(card games) A playing card with the letter "K" and the image of a king on it, the thirteenth card in a given suit.
Monarch
A patron deity or presiding genius.
Come, thou, monarch of the vine,Plumpy Bacchus.
King
A checker (a piece of checkers/draughts) that reached the farthest row forward, thus becoming crowned (either by turning it upside-down, or by stacking another checker on it) and gaining more freedom of movement.
Monarch
A very large red and black butterfly (Danais Plexippus); - called also milkweed butterfly and monarch butterfly.
King
The central pin or skittle in bowling games.
Monarch
Superior to others; preëminent; supreme; ruling.
King
A king skin.
Oi mate, have you got kings?
Monarch
A nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right
King
A male dragonfly; a drake.
Monarch
Large migratory American butterfly having deep orange wings with black and white markings; the larvae feed on milkweed
King
A king-sized bed.
King
The monarch with the most power and authority in a monarchy, regardless of sex.
King
(graph theory) A vertex in a directed graph which can reach every other vertex via a path with a length of at most 2.
King
To crown king, to make (a person) king.
King
To rule over as king.
King
To perform the duties of a king.
King
To assume or pretend preeminence (over); to lord it over.
King
To promote a piece of draughts/checkers that has traversed the board to the opposite side, that piece subsequently being permitted to move backwards as well as forwards.
King
To dress and perform as a drag king.
King
A Chinese musical instrument, consisting of resonant stones or metal plates, arranged according to their tones in a frame of wood, and struck with a hammer.
King
A chief ruler; a sovereign; one invested with supreme authority over a nation, country, or tribe, usually by hereditary succession; a monarch; a prince.
Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are rebels from principle.
There was a State without king or nobles.
But yonder comes the powerful King of Day,Rejoicing in the east
King
One who, or that which, holds a supreme position or rank; a chief among competitors; as, a railroad king; a money king; the king of the lobby; the king of beasts.
King
A playing card having the picture of a king{1}; as, the king of diamonds.
King
The chief piece in the game of chess.
King
A crowned man in the game of draughts.
King
The title of two historical books in the Old Testament.
King
To supply with a king; to make a king of; to raise to royalty.
Those traitorous captains of Israel who kinged themselves by slaying their masters and reigning in their stead.
King
A male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
King
A competitor who holds a preeminent position
King
A very wealthy or powerful businessman;
An oil baron
King
Preeminence in a particular category or group or field;
The lion is the king of beasts
King
United States woman tennis player (born in 1943)
King
United States guitar player and singer of the blues (born in 1925)
King
United States charismatic civil rights leader and Baptist minister who campaigned against the segregation of Blacks (1929-1968)
King
A checker that has been moved to the opponent's first row where it is promoted to a piece that is free to move either forward or backward
King
One of the four playing cards in a deck bearing the picture of a king
King
(chess) the weakest but the most important piece
King
A male ruler of an independent state.
King Henry VIII ruled England in the 16th century.
King
A playing card bearing a representation of a king.
She had a pair of kings in her hand.
King
A very large size of something.
I ordered a king-size bed for our room.
Common Curiosities
Can "king" be used metaphorically?
Yes, for instance, "king of the jungle" refers to lions.
Are all kings considered monarchs?
Yes, all kings are monarchs, but not all monarchs are kings.
Which term is broader in scope?
Monarch is broader and can include kings, queens, emperors, etc.
Can a woman be a king?
No, a woman would be called a queen.
Is "monarch" a gender-specific title?
No, monarch can refer to both male and female sovereigns.
Can monarchs exist in democratic countries?
Yes, constitutional monarchies like the UK have a monarch as a ceremonial figure.
Is there a Queen card like the King card in a deck?
Yes, there's both a King and Queen card in a deck.
Does monarch have meanings outside of royalty?
Yes, for instance, the Monarch butterfly.
Is there a difference between a king and an emperor?
Yes, an emperor usually rules over multiple nations or a vast territory, while a king rules a single kingdom.
Do all countries with monarchs have kings?
No, some have queens, emperors, or other sovereigns.
Which chess piece is more valuable, the king or queen?
The game ends if the king is checkmated, but the queen is more versatile.
Were kings always hereditary rulers?
While many were, some kings were elected or appointed.
Is the spouse of a king also called a monarch?
If the spouse reigns sovereignly, they're a monarch; otherwise, they have titles like queen consort.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
