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 and Phillippe II of France, to name two. But as monarchies have faded, so have regents. As of 2025, only one country has an active regent: Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, who is regent for his father, Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II.
