Definition: Palace
Etymology
From Middle English paleys, from Old French palais, which comes from Latin palÄtium, from PalÄtium, in reference to the Palatine (Palatine Hill), one of the seven hills of Rome, where the aristocracy of the Roman Republicâand later, Roman emperorsâbuilt large, splendid residences. The name is ultimately either from Etruscan, the same source as Pales (Pales, the Italic goddess of shepherds, flocks and livestockââ), or Latin palus (stake, enclosure).
Noun
palace (plural palaces)
- Official residence of a head of state or other dignitary, especially in a monarchical or imperial governmental system.
- A large and lavishly ornate residence.
- A large, ornate public building used for entertainment or exhibitions.
Derived terms
- coffee palace
- Crystal Palace
- gin palace
- ice palace
- palatial
- presidential palace
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors copied and adjusted this Wiktionary entry in accordance with NWE standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit for this article is due to both New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions at Wiktionary is accessible to researchers here: