Viceregal

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /vaɪsˈɹiːɡəl/

Definitions

1. Relating to or denoting the authority, office, or residence of a viceroy who governs a colony or province on behalf of a monarch
2. Concerning the official role and responsibilities of a viceroy who exercises authority in the name of a monarch over a delegated territory
3. Pertaining to the delegation of power or governance by a monarch to a representative who oversees a territory or colony

Etymology: Viceregal is a plain compound: the prefix "vice-", meaning "in place of" or "deputy", joined to "regal", which means "of a king." Together they describe something belonging to a viceroy, the person who governs a territory on behalf of a sovereign. The prefix "vice-" comes from Latin "vice", an ablative form meaning "in the place of" or "by turn," which is also the source of words like "vicar" and "vicarious." "Regal" comes from Latin "regalis," meaning "kingly," from "rex," king. Putting a deputy prefix onto a royal adjective yields a term for things pertaining to someone who rules in the king's stead. Because the prefix carries the sense of substitution, "viceregal" describes the office, residence, or dignity of a representative ruler rather than a monarch. Historically it is most often used of colonial governors and the grand palaces they occupied.