princeps

/ˈprɪn.sɛps/

//ˈprɪn.sɛps// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"princeps" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“princeps” is uncommon English (frequency #78,958 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,958
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The title of the Roman emperor during the principate.

Key facts for princeps
PropertyValue
Headwordprinceps
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈprɪn.sɛps/
Letters8
Frequency rank#78,958
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “princeps” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). princeps lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

princeps is uncommon English at frequency #78,958 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈprɪn.sɛps/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for princeps in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin prī̆nceps (“first, foremost”). Doublet of prince and principe. The correct English form is princeps, spelled P-R-I-N-C-E-P-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The title of the Roman emperor during the principate.
  2. 2
    One who, or that which, is foremost, original, etc.
  3. 3
    The editio princeps, or first edition of a book.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prī̆nceps (“first, foremost”). Doublet of prince and principe.

This word in other languages

Prinzeps(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "princeps"?
"princeps" is spelled P-R-I-N-C-E-P-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈprɪn.sɛps/.
What does "princeps" mean?
As a noun, "princeps" means: The title of the Roman emperor during the principate.
How do you pronounce "princeps"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "princeps" is /ˈprɪn.sɛps/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "princeps"?
Borrowed from Latin prī̆nceps (“first, foremost”). Doublet of prince and principe. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “princeps”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-I-N-C-E-P-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈprɪn.sɛps/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list