# kingdom

/ˈkɪŋdəm/ (US) · /kˈɪŋdəm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/kingdom
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. monarchical state

noun · CEFR A2

a country or territory that is ruled by a king or a queen.

For teachers: a state or territory having a monarch as its head.

- The ancient kingdom was famous for its beautiful castles and brave knights.
- The United Kingdom remains a constitutional monarchy where the sovereign's powers are largely ceremonial and defined by established legal conventions.

### 2. biological group

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

one of the main groups that scientists use to classify living things, such as animals or plants.

For teachers: a high-level taxonomic rank in biological classification, situated below domain and above phylum.

- Mushrooms belong to the fungi kingdom rather than the plant kingdom.
- In modern biological taxonomy, the animal kingdom is distinguished from other groups by the multicellular nature and heterotrophic metabolism of its members.

### 3. conceptual realm

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

an area or field where a particular person, thing, or idea is the most important.

For teachers: a realm, region, or conceptual space where a specific influence or entity is dominant.

- In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
- The poet's work explores the inner kingdom of the human mind, where dreams and memories hold more power than physical reality.

## Examples

- The young prince will one day rule the kingdom.
- The United Kingdom consists of four distinct countries that share a single monarch and central government.
- Biologists traditionally divided all life into five kingdoms, though modern genetic analysis has since introduced the more fundamental rank of domain to better reflect evolutionary history.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.