royalty

[roi-uhl-tee]

noun

plural

royalties 

1. royal persons collectively.

2. royal status, dignity, or power; sovereignty.

   to be elevated to royalty.

3. a person of royal lineage; member of a royal family.

4. Archaic.,  royalties, prerogatives, rights, or symbolic emblems of a king, queen, or other sovereign.

5. a royal domain; kingdom; realm.

6. character or quality proper to or befitting a sovereign; nobility.

7. the most well-known and admired member or members of a particular field or category.

   Her parents are Hollywood royalty. The brand is royalty among champagnes.

8. a compensation or portion of the proceeds paid to the owner of a right, as a patent or oil or mineral right, for the use of it.

9. an agreed portion of the income from a work paid to its author, composer, etc., usually a percentage of the retail price of each copy sold.

10. a royal right, as over minerals, granted by a sovereign to a person or corporation.

11. the payment made for such a right.

royalty

/ ˈrɔɪəltɪ /

noun

1. the rank, power, or position of a king or queen

2. 1. royal persons collectively

   2. one who belongs to the royal family

3. any quality characteristic of a monarch; kingliness or regal dignity

4. a percentage of the revenue from the sale of a book, performance of a theatrical work, use of a patented invention or of land, etc, paid to the author, inventor, or proprietor

royalty

1. A payment made for some right or privilege, as when a publisher pays a royalty to an author for the author's granting the publisher the right to sell the author's book.

Other Word Forms

• nonroyalty noun
• preroyalty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of royalty¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English roialte, from Middle French, Old French roialté, derivative of roial; royal, -ty ²

Example Sentences

The duo launched another major lawsuit in 2013 when they filed suit against Sirius XM for failing to pay sound recording royalties in California, New York and Florida.

From Los Angeles Times

It's a complicated area, but royalties are generally split into two separate categories:

From BBC

"In mam'Nandi's presence, you knew you were in the presence of performance royalty."

From BBC

The fact that she’ll be royalty likely matters less to her than how she feels about her Prince.

From Salon

Sting’s former bandmates in the Police have sued the singer and bassist for what they claim are unpaid royalties over the group’s hit “Every Breath You Take.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fee 
• payment 
• percentage 
• portion 
• share