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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
kingly
adjective
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ a kingly sum of money
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Kingly

Kingly \King"ly\, a. [Compar. Kinglier; superl. Kingliest.] Belonging to, suitable to, or becoming, a king; characteristic of, or resembling, a king; directed or administered by a king; monarchical; royal; sovereign; regal; august; noble; grand. ``Kingly magnificence.''
--Sir P. Sidney. ``A kingly government.''
--Swift. ``The kingly couch.''
--Shak.

The kingliest kings are crowned with thorn.
--G. Massey.

Leave kingly backs to cope with kingly cares.
--Cowper.

Syn: Regal; royal; monarchical; imperial; august; sovereign; noble; splendid.

Usage: Kingly, Regal. Kingly is Anglo-Saxon, and refers especially to the character of a king; regal is Latin, and now relates more to his office. The former is chiefly used of dispositions, feelings, and purposes which are kinglike; as, kingly sentiments; kingly condescension; `` a kingly heart for enterprises.''
--Sir P. Sidney. The latter is oftener applied to external state, pomp, etc.; as, regal state, regal title, etc. This distinction is not observed by our early writers, but is gaining ground.

Kingly

Kingly \King"ly\, adv. In a kingly or kinglike manner.
--Shak.

Low bowed the rest; he, kingly, did but nod.
--Pore.

Note: Although this citation, one from Paradise Lost, and one from Shakespeare's ll4th Sonnet are given by lexicographers as examples of adverbial use, it is by no means clear that the word is not an adjective in each instance.

Wiktionary
kingly

Etymology 1 a. majestic and regal. Etymology 2

adv. In a royal manner.

WordNet
kingly

adj. having the rank of or resembling or befitting a king; "symbolizing kingly power"; "the murder of his kingly guest" [syn: kinglike]

Usage examples of "kingly".

Shall dawn for thee her saffron footcloths spread, Sunset her purple canopies and red, In serried splendour, and the night unfold Her velvet darkness wrought with starry gold For kingly raiment, soft as cygnet-down.

During all the dreadful times that had overpast, though the laird had been a moderate man, he had still leaned to the side of kingly prerogative, and had escaped confiscation and fines, without ever taking any active hand in suppressing the Covenanters.

The followers of Jeroboam declared themselves rightful and valid in kingly succession, and the supporters of Rehoboam made the same claim.

And the King was as a sun in splendour, severely grave, and a frown on his forehead to darken kingdoms, for the attempt on Shagpat had stirred his kingly wrath, and awakened zeal for the punishment of all conspirators and offenders.

The priestly office by its own nature is superior to the kingly, and in all primitive nations with a separate, organized priesthood, whether a true priesthood or a corrupt, the priest is held to be above the king, elects or establishes the law by which is selected the temporal chief, and inducts him into his office, as if he received his authority from God through the priesthood.

A wonderful and marvellous thing truly is this we hear, that the charters, forsooth, of my kingly predecessors, confirmed by the prerogative of the Crown of England, and witnessed by the magnates, should be deemed beyond our powers by you, my lord bishop.

ADAM bowd low, hee Kingly from his State Inclin'd not, but his coming thus declar'd.

From ruling on a splendid kingly throne A nation which beneath my rule has grown 30 Year after year in wealth and arts and might: I wake from daydreams to this real night.

But when he was hard on forty years old, he came across a daughter of a certain lord, whom he had vanquished, and his eyes bewrayed him into longing, so that he gave back to the said lord the havings he had conquered of him that he might lay the maiden in his kingly bed.

I wanted to tell Rog that if Willem had not been a really big man, kingly in the fine sense of the word, we would all be in the soup-simply because I had not been adequately coached for the role.

Peering into the square, concamerated chamber, which had a kingly spaciousness, they saw that it was unoccupied by any visible tenant.

But if it be thy pleasure I will send a chosen band of riders to wend on the spur thereto, and bid them get ready thy kingly house, and give word to the Barons and the Prelates, and the chiefs of the Knighthood, and the Mayor and the Aldermen, and the Masters of the Crafts, to show themselves of what mind they be towards thee.

Never had sleep been more refreshing nor food tasted more savoury, and he began already to harden and his face wore a kinglier look.

He is (in your Lordship’s private ear) a kinglier man than ever Miraz was.

He is (in your Lordship's private ear) a kinglier man than ever Miraz was.