noun / adjective
regency
REE-jun-see/ˈriːdʒənsi/
Government exercised on a monarch's behalf.
The adult's regency governs on behalf of the young monarch.
Etymology
The root means “to rule,” and a regent became specifically someone ruling in a sovereign’s place. Regency names both that substitute government and the period during which it lasts.
In context
The regency system designed to protect kingdoms when kings were too young to rule instead became a period where adult conflicts
More examples
- The regency ends when the young king reaches adulthood.
- The book examines several regencies during the dynasty's history.
- The museum displays a collection of Regency furniture.
Forms
regency · regencies
regent noun — A ruler acting on a monarch's behalf.
Similar words
- rule
- Describes governing generally, not specifically acting for a monarch.
- government
- Covers political authority broadly, without implying a substitute ruler.