kingdom

[ king-duh m ]
/ ˈkɪŋ dəm /

noun

a state or government having a king or queen as its head.
anything conceived as constituting a realm or sphere of independent action or control: the kingdom of thought.
a realm or province of nature, especially one of the three broad divisions of natural objects: the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms.
Biology. a taxonomic category of the highest rank, grouping together all forms of life having certain fundamental characteristics in common: in the five-kingdom classification scheme adopted by many biologists, separate kingdoms are assigned to animals (Animalia), plants (Plantae), fungi (Fungi), protozoa and eucaryotic algae (Protista), and bacteria and blue-green algae (Monera).
the spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ.
the domain over which the spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ extends, whether in heaven or on earth.

Origin of kingdom

before 1000; Middle English; Old English cyningdōm. See king, -dom

SYNONYMS FOR kingdom

1 Kingdom, monarchy, realm refer to the state or domain ruled by a king or queen. A kingdom is a governmental unit ruled by a king or queen: the kingdom of Norway. A monarchy is primarily a form of government in which a single person is sovereign; it is also the type of power exercised by the monarch: This kingdom is not an absolute monarchy. A realm is the domain, including the subjects, over which the king has jurisdiction; figuratively, a sphere of power or influence: the laws of the realm.
2 dominion, empire, domain.

OTHER WORDS FROM kingdom

un·der·king·dom, noun

Example sentences from the Web for kingdom

British Dictionary definitions for kingdom

kingdom
/ (ˈkɪŋdəm) /

noun

a territory, state, people, or community ruled or reigned over by a king or queen
any of the three groups into which natural objects may be divided: the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms
biology any of the major categories into which living organisms of the domain Eukarya are classified. Modern systems recognize four kingdoms: Protoctista (algae, protozoans, etc), Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia See also domain (def. 12)
theol the eternal sovereignty of God
an area of activity, esp mental activity, considered as being the province of something specified the kingdom of the mind

Derived forms of kingdom

kingdomless, adjective

Scientific definitions for kingdom

kingdom
[ kĭngdəm ]

The highest classification into which living organisms are grouped in Linnean taxonomy, ranking above a phylum. One widely accepted system of classification divides life into five kingdoms: prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals. See Table at taxonomy.

Cultural definitions for kingdom

kingdom

In biology, the largest of the divisions of living things. The best-known kingdoms are those of the plants and animals. Modern biologists recognize three additional kingdoms: Monera (or Prokaryotae) (for example, bacteria and blue-green algae), Protoctista (for example, red algae, slime molds, and amoebas and other protozoa), and fungi. (See Linnean classification.)