kingly
adjective, adverb
kingly is spelled K-I-N-G-L-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 68,248th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, kingly means “Of or belonging to a king or kings; exercised by a king” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in kingly?
| Letters | 6: K-I-N-G-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 68,248th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is kingly?
Kingly appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 68,248th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce kingly?
Kingly has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of kingly
- kinglier comparative
- kingliest superlative
- more kingly comparative
- most kingly superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does kingly mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or belonging to a king or kings; exercised by a king.
- 2
Characteristic of kings, majestic, regal; as befits a king, in the manner of a king.
1580s, Philip Sidney, The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia, London: Simon Waterson, 1613, Book 2, p. 159, https://books.google.ca/books?id=a0XVv0Gubt8C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false For then she sets foorth the liberty of his mind,
adverb
- 1
In a royal manner.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Kingly in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | königlich, edel, vornehm, majestätisch, wie ein König |
| Portuguese | régio , regiamente |
| Spanish | majestuosamente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does kingly come from?
From Middle English kyngly, from Old English *cyninglīċ (“kingly, royal”), equivalent to king + -ly. Cognate with Dutch koninklijk (“kingly, royal”), German königlich (“kingly”), Swedish kunglig (“kingly”). Compare also Old English cynelīċ (“kingly, royal, public”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).