First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
royalty
noun roy·al·ty \ˈrȯi(-ə)l-tē\
: members of a royal family
: an amount of money that is paid to the original creator of a product, book, or piece of music based on how many copies have been sold
: an amount of money that is paid by a mining or oil company to the owner of the land the company is using
plural roy·al·ties
Full Definition of ROYALTY
1
a : royal status or power : sovereignty b : a right or perquisite of a sovereign (as a percentage paid to the crown of gold or silver taken from mines)
2
: regal character or bearing : nobility
3
a : persons of royal lineage b : a person of royal rank <how to address royalties — George Santayana> c : an elite class
4
: a right of jurisdiction granted to an individual or corporation by a sovereign
5
a : a share of the product or profit reserved by the grantor especially of an oil or mining lease b : a payment to an author or composer for each copy of a work sold or to an inventor for each item sold under a patent
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Origin of ROYALTY
Middle English roialte, from Anglo-French realté, roialté, from real
Related to ROYALTY
- Synonyms
- augustness, kingliness, majesty, stateliness
ROYALTY Defined for Kids
royalty
noun roy·al·ty \ˈrȯi-əl-tē\
plural roy·al·ties
Definition of ROYALTY for Kids
1
: the status or power of a king or queen or his or her family
2
: members of the royal family of a king or queen
3
: a share of a product or profit (as of a mine) claimed by the owner for allowing another to use the property
4
: payment made to the owner of a patent or copyright for the use of it
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