Regent
[REE-jənt]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, 15th century
1.
A person appointed to administer a country because the monarch is a minor or is absent or incapacitated.
2.
A member of the governing body of a university or other academic institution.
Examples of Regent in a sentence
"Until the young king reached his 18th birthday, his cousin was appointed regent."
"As a regent of the university, she directed the endowment to grant more scholarships to low-income students."
About Regent
The Latin word "regent," which comes from the verb "regere," means "ruling." The spelling and meaning are easy enough that they have been retained in English. A regent is a leader who rules when a monarch is unable to, and in North America the word has been borrowed to describe the people who govern a university.
Did you Know?
Flip through European history books and you’ll find details of regents serving when a monarch could not — George IV of Great Britain, Phillippe II of France, to name two. But as monarchies have faded, so have regents. As of 2023, only one country has an active regent: Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, who is regent for his father, Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II.
