The highest taxonomic rank in biological classification, representing the broadest grouping of organisms that share fundamental characteristics. Modern systems typically recognize several kingdoms including Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, and others.
From Old English 'cyningdom' meaning 'rule of a king,' borrowed into scientific taxonomy in the 18th century by Linnaeus who organized life into three kingdoms: animal, plant, and mineral (though mineral was later removed).
The number of kingdoms has changed dramatically over time - Linnaeus started with 3, then we had 5, and now some scientists propose up to 8 kingdoms! It shows how our understanding of life's diversity keeps expanding.
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