highness
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a title of respect used when speaking to or about a prince or princess.
a formal title of address or reference for a prince, princess, or other high-ranking royal. Usually preceded by 'His', 'Her', or 'Your'.
Simple“The ambassador bowed low when he was introduced to Her Royal Highness.”
In context“The protocol officer reminded the visiting dignitaries that they should address the princess as Your Royal Highness during the formal reception.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the quality of being high or tall.
the state or quality of being high; the physical property of elevation or height.
Simple“The highness of the mountain peaks made them difficult to climb.”
In context“The sheer highness of the ceiling in the cathedral created an impressive sense of space and light.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
an old title for a king or queen, used in the past before 'Majesty' became common.
a historical style of address for a monarch, now largely superseded by 'Majesty'.
Simple“In the old documents, the king was referred to as His Highness.”
In context“Historical records from the Tudor period show that the king was often addressed as Your Highness before the term Your Majesty became standard.”
Synonyms
“The new arrival, who is not a Royal Highness, becomes 15th in line to the throne, moving ahead of her great-uncle, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward.”
Calque of Italian altezza, from Late Latin altitia, from altus + -itia, equivalent to high + -ness. See highness for formation of the English term.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.