rēx
masculine
The English word king is translated into Latin as rēx.
The term refers to a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation.
Meaning: a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun)
Which one should you use?
While rēx refers to a male king, the feminine form for a queen is rēgīna.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun rēx belongs to the third declension. Its singular forms include the nominative rēx, the genitive rēgis (of the king), the dative rēgī (to/for the king) and the accusative rēgem (the king as an object). The nominative plural form is rēgēs (kings).
Did you know?
- The Latin word rēx shares a distant ancestral root with the Sanskrit word rājan, showing that the concept of kingship was described similarly across very different early civilizations.
- While rēx is the standard term, the Romans often avoided using it for their own leaders because they associated the word with the hated tyranny of the ancient Tarquin kings.
- The word rēx is part of a larger family of words in Latin related to 'straightness' or 'rule', such as 'rēctus', meaning 'straight' or 'right'.
Examples in context
- Ille rēx sapienter rēxit.That king ruled wisely.This sentence shows how to use the word rēx in a sentence about a king ruling.Tatoeba #5183107 by alexmarcelo, translation #5190206 by CarpeLanam
- Sī leō rēx ferārum est, aquila rēgīna avium est.If the lion is the king of beasts, the eagle is the king of birds.This sentence uses rēx to describe a lion as the king of beasts.Tatoeba #10802070 by alexmarcelo, translation #4728326 by paper1n0
- Ut leō rēx ferārum est, ita aquila rēgīna avium est.As the lion is king of beasts, so is the eagle king of birds.This sentence uses rēx to compare a lion being king of beasts to an eagle being queen of birds.Tatoeba #10802068 by alexmarcelo, translation #29857 by Dejo
- Rex regnatThe king reigns
- Rex regum imperatThe king of kings commands
- Rex noster semper nobis favetOur king always favors us
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucius and Claudia are discussing an old story about a ruler.
- LuciusQuis est rēx in hīs terrīs?Who is the king in these lands?
- ClaudiaHic rēx est validus et iustus.This king is strong and just.
- LuciusEstne rēx in urbe?Is the king in the city?
- ClaudiaIta, rēx ibi habitat.Yes, the king lives there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “king” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
