Other forms: princes
A prince is the son of a king or a queen. The crown prince, a prince of the realm, prince and princess.
It also names a ruler in his own right — the Prince of Monaco rules there — and Machiavelli's book is about that kind. The Latin behind it means first, and a prince was originally the first citizen rather than anybody's son.
1nounprinceThe son of a king or a queen.
“The young prince was taught to ride and fight, ready to rule after his father.”
prince is a royal person.
Latin princeps means first head — primus, first, plus capere, to take. It was Augustus's chosen title.
Proto-Indo-European
*keh₂p-
Latin
prīnceps — first head
Anglo-Norman
prince
Middle English
prince
English, today
prince
From Middle English prince, from Anglo-Norman prince, from Latin prīnceps (“first head”), from prīmus + capiō. Cognate with Old English fruma (“prince, ruler”). a doublet of princeps and principe. Displaced native atheling, from æþeling; kinebarn, from cynebearn; alder, from ealdor; and drighten, from dryhten.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA