majesty

Majesty is a term that denotes regal dignity, sovereign authority, or the grandeur associated with royalty. In its noun sense, majesty encompasses both the personal status of a king or queen and the qualities of majesty exhibited by rulers or states. The word is derived from Latin maiestas, through Old French majesté, and entered English in the Middle Ages. In modern usage, majesty is most commonly encountered as a form of address: Your Majesty; the titles His Majesty or Her Majesty refer to the reigning sovereign and their consort.

Historically, majesty signified not only the ruler's personal authority but the unity and legitimacy of the state. In constitutional monarchies today, the term is largely ceremonial, reflecting tradition and symbolic duties rather than political power. In diplomacy and protocol, speakers may address a monarch with deference appropriate to their ceremonial role.

Culturally, majesty appears in art, literature, architecture, and music as a device to evoke awe, sublimity, or grandeur. It figures in heraldry and national emblems, and in expressions such as the majesty of nature. The word also features as a title or motif in various works of popular culture, reflecting ongoing associations between monarchy, power, and awe.

In modern contexts, the term is often used metaphorically to describe impressive scale or dignity, for example in descriptions of landscapes or institutions.