A king is a male ruler of a country or region, usually from a royal family, who often holds the highest position of power. The word can also be used more loosely for someone who is the best or most important in a certain area.
From Old English “cyning”, related to German “König”, originally meaning a leader of a people or kin group. The word is connected to ideas of family, tribe, and lineage.
The root of “king” is tied to kin—your people—so the earliest kings were more like head relatives than distant celebrities. Even now, we call someone the “king” of pop or chess when they dominate their field. The crown moved from bloodlines to skill in our metaphors.
'King' is a male-gendered title tied to hereditary monarchy and patriarchal power structures. In modern slang, 'king' is used to praise men, while women are often addressed as 'queen,' sometimes with different connotations around appearance and desirability.
Use 'king' only when male gender is relevant (e.g., historical title); avoid using 'king' generically for authority or default leadership when gender is unknown or irrelevant.
["monarch","ruler","sovereign","leader"]
Women rulers and power-brokers have often been written out of 'king'-centered histories; using gender-neutral terms like 'monarch' can help surface their roles.
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