royalty
UK: ˈrɔɪəlti | US: ˈrɔɪəlti
n. 1. The status or power of a king or queen; monarchical authority.
n. 2. A sum paid to a patentee, author, or composer for the use of their work or property.
n. 3. Members of a royal family collectively.
The word "royalty" derives from the Old French term roialte, which itself comes from the Latin regalitas (from rex, meaning "king"). The morpheme "royal" preserves the core idea of monarchy, while the suffix "-ty" (from Latin -tas) transforms it into an abstract noun denoting status or quality. Over time, its meaning expanded beyond sovereign authority to include payments for intellectual property (19th century), metaphorically treating creators as "monarchs" of their work.
The crown symbolizes the royalty of the British monarchy.
Authors receive royalties from book sales.
The hotel treated us like royalty during our stay.
Oil companies pay royalties for drilling on public land.
The documentary explored the lives of European royalty.