Meanings
regent1
nounregent (plural regents)
plural regents
- historicalA member of a municipal or civic body of governors, especially in certain European cities.First known use 16th c.
This perception, however, does no justice to the regents of the city of Amsterdam.
1999, Geert Mak, translated by Philipp Blom, Amsterdam: A Brief Life of the City, Vintage, published 2001, page 139 - CanadaScotlandUSA member of governing board of a college or university; also a governor of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.First known use 18th c.
- IndonesiaThe chief executive of a regency.
adjectiveregent (comparative more regent, superlative most regent)
comparative more regent · superlative most regent
- Ruling; governing; regnant.
Some other active regent principle […] which we call the soul.
a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery, […], published 1677, →OCLC - Exercising vicarious authority.
the regent powers
1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
Regent2
proper noun
- A city in North Dakota.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveacting or functioning as a regent or ruler
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinregēns“ruling; ruler, governor, prince”
- Middle Frenchregent
- Anglo-Normanregent
- Middle Englishregent
- Englishregent
From Middle English regent, from Anglo-Norman regent, Middle French regent, and their source, Latin regēns (“ruling; ruler, governor, prince”), present participle of regō (“to govern, to steer”).
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μεσοβασιλεύς
- μεσοβασιλεύς (mesobasileús)one who rules in place of the monarch
Arabic وَصِيّ العَرْش
- وَصِيّ العَرْش (waṣiyy al-ʕarš)one who rules in place of the monarch
Basque erregeorde
- erregeordeone who rules in place of the monarch
Bulgarian регент
- регент (regent)one who rules in place of the monarch
Catalan regent
- regentone who rules in place of the monarch
Chinese Mandarin 攝政王 /摄政王
- 攝政王 /摄政王 (shèzhèngwáng)one who rules in place of the monarch
Czech regent, vladař
- regentone who rules in place of the monarch
- vladařone who rules in place of the monarch
Danish regent
- regentone who rules in place of the monarch
Dutch regent
- regentone who rules in place of the monarch
Esperanto reganto
- regantoone who rules in place of the monarch
Estonian regent
- regentone who rules in place of the monarch
Finnish valtionhoitaja, sijaishallitsija
- valtionhoitajaone who rules in place of the monarch
- sijaishallitsijaone who rules in place of the monarch
French régent, régente
- régentone who rules in place of the monarch
- régenteone who rules in place of the monarch
German Regent, Regentin
- Regentone who rules in place of the monarch
- Regentinone who rules in place of the monarch
Greek αντιβασιλέας
- αντιβασιλέας (antivasiléas)one who rules in place of the monarch
Hungarian régens
- régensone who rules in place of the monarch
Indonesian wali
- walione who rules in place of the monarch
Irish leasrí
- leasríone who rules in place of the monarch
Italian reggente
- reggenteone who rules in place of the monarch
Japanese 摂政
- 摂政 (sesshō)one who rules in place of the monarch
Korean 섭정
- 섭정 (seopjeong)one who rules in place of the monarch
Latin interrex
- interrexone who rules in place of the monarch
Latvian reģents, regente
- reģentsone who rules in place of the monarch
- regenteone who rules in place of the monarch
Lithuanian regentas, regentė
- regentasone who rules in place of the monarch
- regentėone who rules in place of the monarch
Malay pemangku raja, regen
- pemangku rajaone who rules in place of the monarch
- regenone who rules in place of the monarch
Norwegian Bokmål regent
- regentone who rules in place of the monarch
Persian نایبالسلطنه
- نایبالسلطنهone who rules in place of the monarch
Polish regent, regentka
- regentone who rules in place of the monarch
- regentkaone who rules in place of the monarch
Portuguese regente
- regenteone who rules in place of the monarch
Romanian regent
- regentone who rules in place of the monarch
Russian ре́гент
- ре́гент (régent)one who rules in place of the monarch
Scottish Gaelic eadar-thriath
- eadar-thriathone who rules in place of the monarch
Slovak regent
- regentone who rules in place of the monarch
Spanish regente, regidor
- regenteone who rules in place of the monarch
- regidorone who rules in place of the monarch
Swedish regent, riksföreståndare
- regentone who rules in place of the monarch
- riksföreståndareone who rules in place of the monarch
Tagalog rehente
- rehenteone who rules in place of the monarch
Thai ผู้สำเร็จราชการแทนพระองค์
- ผู้สำเร็จราชการแทนพระองค์ (pûu-sǎm-rèt-râat-chá-gaan-tɛɛn-prá-ong)one who rules in place of the monarch
Turkish naip
- naipone who rules in place of the monarch
Ukrainian ре́гент
- ре́гент (réhent)one who rules in place of the monarch
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
regent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regent
MLA
“regent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regent. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “regent,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regent.
Source: regent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.