principate

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principate

/ˈpɹɪns.əˌpeɪt/

Where it comes from

Learned borrowing from Latin prīncipātus, referring to the titles prīnceps senātūs (“first among senators”) and prīnceps cīvitātis (“first among citizens”), adopted by Octavian Caesar Augustus in order to preserve the illusion of formal continuance of some aspects of the Roman Republic.

noun principates

Ancient Rome, countable, uncountable The early period of the Roman Empire, during which some characteristics of the government of the Roman Republic were retained; the reign of any particular emperor during said period. The history of the courts and of judicial procedure during the principate is closely parallel to that of the government as a whole.
countable, uncountable The office of one who is principal or preeminent (such as a prince); the quality or status of being principal; preeminence. 1998, Annabel S. Brett (translator and editor), William of Ockham, On the Power Of Emperors and Popes, Thoemmes Press, page 87, From all this we may draw the conclusion that papal principate was instituted for the utility and advantage of its subjects and not for the honour and glory or the utility
Similar: princedom, primacy, principality
countable, uncountable A state ruled by a prince; a principality.
Similar: princedom, principality

adjective

not comparable Primary; principal.

Translations

Every language

noun early period of the Roman Empire

Español	principado
Português	principado
Français	principat
Deutsch	Prinzipat
Italiano	principato

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MLA

"principate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/principate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

principate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/principate

Chicago

"principate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/principate.

BibTeX

@misc{principate_2026,
  title = {principate},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/principate},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}