Royalism

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɔɪəlɪzm/

Definitions

1. The belief in or advocacy of monarchy as the best form of government
2. A political stance favoring rule by a king or queen
3. An ideology that upholds the authority and legitimacy of royal rulers

Etymology: "Royalism" is a plain compound: the adjective "royal" with the suffix "-ism," which English took from Greek through Latin and French. The suffix comes from Ancient Greek "-ismos," a noun-forming ending that named an action, practice or doctrine, and "-izein," the verb ending from which "-ize" also descends. Over many centuries it attached itself to countless base words, so that "royal" plus "-ism" yields a name for a system of belief rather than a quality of a person. "Royal" itself reaches English from Old French "roial," ultimately from Latin "regalis," meaning "of a king," which is also the root of "regal." The word therefore began life as a simple adjective describing a king's position or property, and the suffix later turned that adjective into a doctrine.

Synonyms: monarchism, royalty, royalist belief

Antonyms: republicanism