noun
pl. -·ties- the rank, status, or power of a king or queen; royal position, dignity, etc.; sovereignty
- a royal person or, collectively, royal persons
- Archaic a royal domain or realm; kingdom
- royal quality or character; nobility, magnanimity, etc.
- [usually pl.]Archaic a right, privilege, or prerogative of a monarch
- Rare
- a royal right, as over some natural resource, granted by a monarch to a person, corporation, etc.
- payment for such a right
- a share of the proceeds or product paid to the owner of a right, as a patent, for permission to use it or operate under it
- such a share paid to one from whom lands rich in oil or minerals are leased
- a share of proceeds, usually a specified percentage, paid for the work of an author, composer, etc. by the publisher
Origin of royalty
Middle English roialte from Old French from Medieval Latin regalitas from Classical Latin regalis, regal
