Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to a prince; royal.
  • adjective Befitting a prince, as.
  • adjective Noble.
  • adjective Munificent; lavish.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining or belonging to a prince; having the rank of a prince; regal.
  • Resembling a prince; princelike; having the appearance or manner of one high-born; stately; magnanimous; noble.
  • Befitting a prince; munificent; magnificent; regal: as, a princely gift; a princely banquet; a princely fortune.
  • Synonyms August, imperial.
  • Bounteous.
  • In a princelike manner; royally.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb In a princely manner.
  • adjective Of or relating to a prince; regal; royal; of highest rank or authority
  • adjective Suitable for, or becoming to, a prince; grand; august; munificent; magnificent

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Relating to a prince.
  • adjective Befitting to a prince.
  • adverb In the manner of a royal prince's conduct.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective rich and superior in quality
  • adjective having the rank of or befitting a prince

Etymologies

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Examples

  • In princely guards!] [W: priestly guards] The first folio has, in both places, _prenzie_, from which the other folios made _princely_, and every editor may make what he can.

    Notes to Shakespeare — Volume 01: Comedies Samuel Johnson 1746

  • Six months ago, Mrs. Mohamed called Mr. Nur and sold her villa to him for $30,000, a small price for what she calls a princely home with a walled yard.

    From Somalia's Chaos, Housing Market Is Born Abdinasir Mohamed 2010

  • In the country of Wild Oats, wit and humor are held in sufficient estimation to win you forgiveness for what fools call a misalliance, and what I call a princely marriage.

    Laboulaye's Fairy Book Edouard Laboulaye 1847

  • All this luxury, called princely by persons who do not know what real princes are, was built in the garden of the house of a purveyor made a Croesus by the Revolution, who had escaped to Brussels and died there after going into bankruptcy.

    The Imaginary Mistress 2007

  • All this luxury, called princely by persons who do not know what real princes are, was built in the garden of the house of a purveyor made a Croesus by the Revolution, who had escaped to Brussels and died there after going into bankruptcy.

    The Imaginary Mistress 2007

  • He is tall, handsome, and has what you might call princely manners.

    The Sunny Side of Diplomatic Life, 1875-1912 1886

  • 'In fact, the people of many American States are free to treat with all possible public and private distinction a personage who not only was elected to a position which may be called princely, but who actually exercised for several years a greater authority over millions of American citizens than has belonged to any

    France and the Republic A Record of Things Seen and Learned in the French Provinces During the 'Centennial' Year 1889 William Henry Hurlbert 1861

  • The hospitality of that house I may well call princely; it was the boundless hospitality of the heart, which, if it has no Aladdin's lamp to create a palace for the guest, does him still higher service by the freedom of its bounty to the very last drop of its powers.

    At Home And Abroad Or, Things And Thoughts In America and Europe Margaret Fuller 1830

  • The hospitality of that house I may well call princely; it was the boundless hospitality of the heart, which, if it has no Aladdin's lamp to create a palace for the guest, does him still higher service by the freedom of its bounty up to the very last drop of its powers.

    Summer on the Lakes, in 1843 Margaret Fuller 1830

  • All this luxury, called princely by persons who do not know what real princes are, was built in the garden of the house of a purveyor made a Croesus by the Revolution, who had escaped to Brussels and died there after going into bankruptcy.

    Paz Honor�� de Balzac 1824

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