queen mother

noun

: a queen dowager who is mother of the reigning sovereign

Examples of queen mother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gadhafi made multiple trips to Uganda and supported Oyo and the queen mother for years before Gadhafi’s death in October 2011. — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 For a queen mother to privilege her daughter/queen’s wishes above those of the son/king who abdicated in the night? — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026 To explore the Akan concept of Sassa, referring to an invisible but ever-present and occasionally vengeful spirit brought about by the unresolved issues of a deceased person, Opoku spoke to several queen mothers from across the region. — Gameli Hamelo, ARTnews.com, 29 May 2026 Ultimately, all three experience social and economic transformation through devotion to Swasthani, which culminates in the crowning of Navaraj as a king and Chandravati and Goma becoming queen and queen mother, respectively. — Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for queen mother

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of queen mother was in 1560

Rhymes for queen mother

See All Rhymes for queen mother

Browse Nearby Words

Queen Maud Land
queen mother
Queen of May
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Queen mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/queen%20mother. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

queen mother

noun
: the widowed mother of the king or queen who is currently reigning
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All