anti-royalist

IPA/ˌæn.tiˈrɔɪ.ə.lɪst/
IPA/ˌæn.taɪˈrɔɪ.ə.lɪst/

anti-royalist — adjective

1. holding the view that a country should not have a single royal ruler as its head

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

holding the view that a country should not have a single royal ruler as its head of state; wanting to end or replace a system of monarchy.

Example

The anti-royalist newspaper has been calling for an end to the monarchy for years.

anti-royalist + noun (newspaper / publication)

Many young voters in Thailand hold anti-royalist views and want a republic.

collocation: anti-royalist views

Common collocations
  • anti-royalist views
  • anti-royalist sentiment
  • anti-royalist movement
  • anti-royalist activist
  • anti-royalist speech
  • anti-royalist comments
Synonyms
  • republican

    more specific — implies wanting a republic as the alternative; 'anti-royalist' focuses on opposition to monarchy itself

  • monarchist

    antonym — someone who supports the monarchy system

Antonyms
  • royalist

    a person who actively supports the king or queen

  • monarchist

    someone who believes in government by a monarch

Grammar Patterns

anti-royalist + noun

Usage Note

Commonly used before nouns such as 'views', 'sentiment', 'movement', 'activist', and 'speech'. Describes political opposition to the institution of monarchy rather than personal dislike of individual royals.

Common Mistakes

She is anti-royalist the king.
She holds anti-royalist views.
anti-royalist is an adjective and cannot be followed directly by a noun object.

anti-royalist — noun

Word family

  • royalist
    nounB2
  • royalist
    adjectiveC1
  • anti-royalism
    nounC2
  • royalism
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all three words describe people who oppose the existing political order, 'anti-royalist' is the most specific: it refers only to opposition to monarchy as a system. A 'republican' specifically wants a republic (government by elected representatives) but may not be actively opposed to a constitutional monarchy in all contexts. A 'dissident' challenges any aspect of government or policy — their opposition is not limited to monarchy. A 'radical' advocates for fundamental change across many areas of society, often including but not limited to the role of the monarchy. For example: 'The republican argued for an elected head of state, while the anti-royalist focused on abolishing the royal family's political powers.' 'The dissident was jailed for criticising both the monarchy and the military government.'

republican ↗dissident ↗radical ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in opposition to the monarchy
  • calling for an end to royal rule

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'anti-royalist' is formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek, meaning 'against') and 'royalist' (a person who supports a monarch). 'Royalist' developed in English during the 17th-century English Civil War, when supporters of King Charles I were called Royalists, and their opponents were referred to as anti-royalists or Parliamentarians. The base 'royal' traces back through Old French 'roial' to Latin 'regalis', meaning 'kingly' or 'of a king'.

First known use

1782

1782, in the meaning defined above