DIVINE RIGHT

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does divine right mean? 

• DIVINE RIGHT (noun)
  The noun DIVINE RIGHT has 1 sense:

1. the doctrine that kings derive their right to rule directly from God and are not accountable to their subjects; rebellion is the worst of political crimes

  Familiarity information: DIVINE RIGHT used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DIVINE RIGHT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The doctrine that kings derive their right to rule directly from God and are not accountable to their subjects; rebellion is the worst of political crimes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

divine right; divine right of kings

Context example:

the doctrine of the divine right of kings was enunciated by the Stuarts in Britain in the 16th century

Hypernyms ("divine right" is a kind of...):

doctrine; ism; philosophical system; philosophy; school of thought (a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school)

 Context examples 

Here commences a new dominion acquired with a title by divine right.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)