What does "palatine" mean?
Ellipsis of count palatine, a feudal lord or a bishop possessing palatine powers.
Palatine
/ˈpæl.ə.taɪn/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Ellipsis of count palatine, a feudal lord or a bishop possessing palatine powers.
- Grammar: palatine is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: bey, collector, count palatine, governor.
- Useful contrasts: buccal, commoner, humble.
- Usage evidence: Mary's palatine tonsils were removed when she was seven years old.
How to use "palatine"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "palatine" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "palatine" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "palatine" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "palatine" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "palatine" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bey" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "palatine", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Ellipsis of count palatine, a feudal lord or a bishop possessing palatine powers. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, postpositional, usually
- 2 A fur cape or stole worn by women, which covers the neck and shoulders. historical, postpositional, usually
- 3 Ellipsis of palatine bone. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, postpositional, usually
- 4 A native or inhabitant of the Palatinate. obsolete, rare
- 5 either of two irregularly shaped bones that form the back of the hard palate and helps to form the nasal cavity and the floor of the orbits wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A palace official, especially in an imperial palace. postpositional, usually
- 7 (Middle Ages) the lord of a palatinate who exercised sovereign powers over his lands wordnet
- 8 Ellipsis of county palatine. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, historical, postpositional, usually
- 9 any of various important officials in ancient Rome wordnet
- 10 The Roman soldiers of the imperial palace. historical, in-plural, postpositional, usually
Adjective
- 1 (of an official or feudal lord) Having local authority and possessing royal privileges that elsewhere belongs only to a sovereign. historical, not-comparable, postpositional, usually
- 2 Of or relating to the palate or to a palatine bone. not-comparable, postpositional, usually
"They strive to astonish the most sophisticated taste, the only applause they seek is the thick sound of the satisfied tongue clapping the palatine papillae."
- 3 Pertaining to the Elector Palatine or the German Palatinate or its people. not-comparable
"Internally, the Palatine government remained dominated by Calvinists who bullied the largely Lutheran population, persecuted Jews and refused dialogue with Catholics."
- 4 (of an official or feudal lord) Having local authority and possessing royal privileges that elsewhere belongs only to a sovereign.; Subject to palatine authority. (of a territory) historical, not-comparable, postpositional, usually
- 5 Of or relating to a palace especially of a Roman or Holy Roman Emperor. not-comparable, postpositional, usually
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Synonym of palatial. not-comparable, postpositional, usually
Adjective
- 1 of or relating to a palace wordnet
- 2 of or relating to a count palatine and the palatine's royal prerogatives wordnet
- 3 relating to or lying near the palate wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 One of the seven hills of Rome; the site of the earliest settlement.
- 2 A placename.; A village in Cook County, Illinois.
- 3 A placename.; A hamlet in County Carlow, Ireland.
- 4 A placename.; A town in Montgomery County, New York.
- 5 The Rhine Franconian dialect spoken in the Palatinate.
Example
"Mary's palatine tonsils were removed when she was seven years old."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "palatine"?
Common synonyms include: bey, collector, count palatine, governor, nabob, oral.
How do you use "palatine" in a sentence?
Mary's palatine tonsils were removed when she was seven years old.
How do you pronounce "palatine"?
Pronounced /ˈpæl.ə.taɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From late Middle English palatyne, from Old French palatin, from Medieval Latin palātīnus (“relating to the palace”), from palātium (“palace”) + -īnus (“-ine”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of paladin.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from French palatine, named after German Princess Palatine Elizabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine (1652–1722).
Etymology 3
Borrowing from French palatin, from New Latin palātīnus, from palātum (“the palate”) + -īnus (“-ine”, adjectival suffix); equivalent to palate + -ine.
Etymology 4
From Latin Palātīnus, from Palātium.