Vice-regal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A phrase indicating the role and duties linked to someone governing as a representative of a monarch in a territory or colony
2. It denotes the ceremonial authority and responsibilities of an individual acting on behalf of a king or queen in their stead
3. A term that refers to the official powers and obligations of a representative governing a region on behalf of a monarch or sovereign authority

Etymology: Vice-regal is formed from the prefix "vice-", meaning "in place of" (from Latin "vice", "in the place of"), and "regal", from Latin "regalis", relating to a king. Together they describe something belonging to a viceroy, the person who governs a territory on behalf of a sovereign who is absent. The adjective is most familiar in the phrase "vice-regal" as used of Governors-General and Lieutenant-Governors in British colonies and dominions, who stood in for the monarch and carried out ceremonial duties on their behalf. The word is a transparent compound rather than a borrowing, so its meaning follows directly from its parts.

Synonyms: viceroyal, deputy