# composite monarchy

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A type of monarchy, common in Europe during the early modern period, in which a single ruler governed several territories as if they were separate kingdoms, each with its own local traditions and legal structures.

## Etymology
Coined in 1975 by German-born British historian Helmut Koenigsberger and popularised by Sir John Huxtable Elliott.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/composite-monarchy