Regnant
/ˈrɛɡnənt/noun
Holding sovereign power or reigning as a ruler.
Did you know?Regnant descends from the Latin present participle *regnantem*, from *regnare* (“to rule, reign”), a word tied to the same royal power-family that gave English *reign* and *regal*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃reǵ-
“to straighten, rule, direct”
Latin
Latin
regere
“to rule, guide, direct”
Classical Latin
Latin
regnare
“to reign, exercise royal power”
Old French
Old French
reignant
“reigning, ruling”
Middle English
English
regnant
“reigning; exercising sovereign authority”
Modern English
English
regnant
“holding sovereign power or reigning as a ruler”