kingdom

[king-duhm]

noun

1. a state or government having a king or queen as its head.

2. anything conceived as constituting a realm or sphere of independent action or control.

   the kingdom of thought.

   Synonyms: domain, empire, dominion

3. a realm or province of nature, especially one of the three broad divisions of natural objects.

   the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms.

4. Biology.,  a taxonomic category of the second highest rank, just below domain: in a traditional five-kingdom classification scheme, separate kingdoms are assigned to animals (Animalia), plants (Plantae), fungi (Fungi), protozoa and eukaryotic algae (Protista), and bacteria (Monera).

5. the spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ.

6. the domain over which the spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ extends, whether in heaven or on earth.

kingdom

/ ˈkɪŋdəm /

noun

1. a territory, state, people, or community ruled or reigned over by a king or queen

2. any of the three groups into which natural objects may be divided: the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms

3. biology any of the major categories into which living organisms of the domain Eukarya are classified. Modern systems recognize four kingdoms: Protoctista (algae, protozoans, etc), Fungi , Plantae , and Animalia See also domain

4. theol the eternal sovereignty of God

5. an area of activity, esp mental activity, considered as being the province of something specified

   the kingdom of the mind

kingdom

1. The highest classification into which living organisms are grouped in Linnean taxonomy, ranking above a phylum. One widely accepted system of classification divides life into five kingdoms: prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals.

2. See Table at taxonomy

kingdom

1. In biology, the largest of the divisions of living things. The best-known kingdoms are those of the plants and animals. Modern biologists recognize three additional kingdoms: Monera (or Prokaryotae) (for example, bacteria and blue-green algae), Protoctista (for example, red algae, slime molds, and amoebas and other protozoa), and fungi. (See Linnean classification.)

Other Word Forms

• underkingdom noun
• kingdomless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kingdom¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English cyningdōm; king, -dom

Synonym Study

Kingdom, monarchy, realm refer to the state or domain ruled by a king or queen. A kingdom is a governmental unit ruled by a king or queen: the kingdom of Norway. A monarchy is primarily a form of government in which a single person is sovereign; it is also the type of power exercised by the monarch: This kingdom is not an absolute monarchy. A realm is the domain, including the subjects, over which the king has jurisdiction; figuratively, a sphere of power or influence: the laws of the realm.

Example Sentences

She previously served in Congress and the statehouse before becoming one of the five “little queens” holding the reins of the county kingdom.

From Los Angeles Times

Others couldn't be more excited about a return to the kingdom of Far Far Away.

From BBC

CBS’ decision to end “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” next May raises questions about the future of the nocturnal kingdom Carson once ruled.

From Los Angeles Times

In the kingdom that oil built, Hank sold and installed propane and propane accessories while Peggy lived like a midcentury American sitcom wife.

From Salon

Sir David Attenborough's latest BBC One series documents how parents from across the animal kingdom sacrifice everything in order to raise their young.

From BBC