Queen's English

Queen's Engl·ish
UK/kwiːnz‿ˈɪŋ(ɡ)lɪʃ/US/kwinz‿ˈɪŋ(ɡ)lɪʃ/

noun

Often preceded by the: spoken or written English regarded as used and safeguarded by the Queen of England; standard English characterized by correct grammar and what is thought of as proper usage of words and expressions, and (when spoken) formal British pronunciation.

Similar
Received PronunciationReceived Pronunciation languageKing's English
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Meanings

Queen's English1

nounQueen's English (uncountable)

alternative queen's English

  1. EnglanduncountableOften preceded by the: spoken or written English regarded as used and safeguarded by the Queen of England; standard English characterized by correct grammar and what is thought of as proper usage of words and expressions, and (when spoken) formal British pronunciation.

    He murdered the Queen's English every time he spoke.

    1913, E. Phillips Oppenheim, chapter 22, in The Double Life Of Mr. Alfred Burton
    4 more examples

    But I am not so timid, and can speak the Queen's English plainly.

    1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Story of the Young Man with the Cream Tarts”, in New Arabian Nights

    Picking up the different points of land was often the source of a joke, for our master was not blessed with the most perfect command of the Queen's English, and I overheard one morning the following nautical dialogue: "Look out, ahoy!" - speaking to the man in the foretop.

    1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 33

    In the movies, bankable Brits fall into one of two categories: those who live in stately homes and possess a firm grasp of the Queen's English, and those who live in cottages or tenements and possess accents thick enough to caulk boats.

    2006 April 7, Jeanette Catsoulis, “Movie Review: On a Clear Day (2005)”, in New York Times, retrieved 15 Aug 2010

    They've obviously never met before, but are getting on like a house on fire. Both are well-spoken and versed in the Queen's English. [this was possibly written before Queen Elizabeth II died]

    2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 52

queen's English2

nounqueen's English (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAlternative letter-case form of Queen's English.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe approved pronunciation of British English; originally based on the King's English as spoken at public schools and at Oxford and Cambridge Universities (and widely accepted elsewhere in Britain); until recently it was the pronunciation of English used in British broadcasting

Similar
Received PronunciationReceived Pronunciation languageKing's English
Broader
pronunciationorthoepyBritish EnglishUK English
Also see
king's englishreceived pronunciation

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From Queen + -’s + English, possibly modelled after King’s English which is attested slightly earlier.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish kuningattaren englanti
  • kuningattaren englantispoken or written English regarded as used and safeguarded by the Queen of England
Hungarian helyes/hibátlan/kifogástalan angolság
  • helyes/hibátlan/kifogástalan angolságspoken or written English regarded as used and safeguarded by the Queen of England

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with Queen's English

englishAmerenglishAnglo-Indian EnglishJenglishKing's English
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

Queen's English. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Queen's%20English

MLA

“Queen's English.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Queen's%20English. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Queen's English,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Queen's%20English.

Source: Queen's English on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.