1. A male member of a royal family other than the monarch, especially a son of the monarch.
2. 1. A man who is a ruler of a principality.
   2. A hereditary male ruler; a king.
3. A nobleman of varying status or rank.
4. An outstanding man, especially in a particular group or class: a merchant prince.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin prīnceps.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.