regency

re·gen·cy
R1E1G2E1N1C3Y4
/ˈɹiːd͡ʒənsi/

noun

A system of government that substitutes for the reign of a king or queen when that king or queen becomes unable to rule.

“period of regency”

OriginMiddle English regencie ← Medieval Latin regentia ← Latin regēns →
CommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

regency1

nounregency (countable and uncountable, plural regencies)

plural regencies

  1. countableuncountableA system of government that substitutes for the reign of a king or queen when that king or queen becomes unable to rule.

    The country was governed by a regency while the king was still a minor.

  2. countableuncountableThe time during which a regent is in power.

    period of regency

    2 more examples

    The prince served as regent during the regency.

    during the regency

  3. countableuncountableAn administrative division ranking below a province in Indonesia.

Regency2

proper noun
  1. historicalThe regency of George Augustus Frederick of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, before he became King George IV; that is, the period in United Kingdom history in which he ruled as prince regent (1811–1820).

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
protectorate

Origin

  1. Latinregēns
  2. Medieval Latinregentia
  3. Middle Englishregencie
  4. Englishregency

From Middle English regencie (cf. regente), from Medieval Latin regentia, from Latin regēns, present participle of regō. By surface analysis, regent + -cy; compare also + -ency (“abstract-noun suffix”).

More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic وِصَايَة
  • وِصَايَة (wiṣāya)system of government
Bulgarian регентство
  • регентство (regentstvo)system of government
Catalan regència
  • regènciasystem of government
Czech vladařství
  • vladařstvísystem of government
Danish regentskab
  • regentskabsystem of government
Dutch regentschap
  • regentschapsystem of government
Finnish sijaishallitus
  • sijaishallitussystem of government
French régence
  • régencesystem of government
German Regentschaft
  • Regentschaftsystem of government
Indonesian kabupaten
  • kabupatensystem of government
Irish leasríocht
  • leasríochtsystem of government
Italian reggenza
  • reggenzasystem of government
Japanese 摂政
  • 摂政 (sesshō)system of government
Polish regencja
  • regencjasystem of government
Portuguese regência
  • regênciasystem of government
Russian ре́гентство
  • ре́гентство (régentstvo)system of government
Spanish regencia
  • regenciasystem of government
Swedish regentskap
  • regentskapsystem of government
Cite this entry
APA

regency. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regency

MLA

“regency.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regency. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “regency,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regency.

Source: regency on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.