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of or relating to a king, queen, or other sovereign:
royal power; a royal palace.
descended from or related to a king or line of kings:
a royal prince.
noting or having the rank of a king or queen.
established or chartered by or existing under the patronage of a sovereign:
a royal society.
(initial capital letter) serving or subject to a king, queen, or other sovereign.
proceeding from or performed by a sovereign:
a royal warrant.
appropriate to or befitting a sovereign; magnificent; stately:
royal splendor.
(usually initial capital letter) British. in the service of the monarch or of the Commonwealth:
Royal Marines; Royal Air Force.
fine; excellent:
in royal spirits.
Informal. extreme or persistent; unmitigated:
a royal nuisance; a royal pain.
Nautical. a sail set on a .
Informal. a royal person; member of the .
Usually, royals. Chiefly British. a member of England’s .
a size of printing paper, 20 × 25 inches (51 × 64 cm).
a size of writing paper, 19 × 24 inches (48 × 61 cm).
Numismatics. any of various former coins, as the real or ryal.
Contemporary Examples

The new owners of Harrods—the Qatari royal family—have tastefully removed any mention of “engagement” from the display.
Princess Diana’s 50th Birthday: The ‘Unanswered Questions’ Martyn Gregory June 30, 2011

Other royal surfers include Prince William, who has frequently been spotted surfing in Cornwall.
Young Prince Charles Was Told to ‘Eff-Off’ by British Surfers For Drop-ins Tom Sykes June 13, 2012

While royal hit the campaign trail, Hollande and Trierweiler set up house.
French President’s Love Life Enters the E.R. With His First Lady Hospitalized Christopher Dickey January 11, 2014

The Macedonian empire quickly cracked up, however, leaving behind multiple successor states under Greek-speaking royal families.
Why the Roman Republic Died David Frum September 20, 2012

Check out Prince William’s Christmas Day appearance in this 12-year-old royal fangirl’s selfie.
Prince William’s Christmas Day Selfie Tom Sykes January 1, 2014

Historical Examples

Newton, it will be remembered, was made Master of the royal Mint.
Genius in Sunshine and Shadow Maturin Murray Ballou

That graceful maiden is too lovely for any destiny meaner than a royal marriage.
Philothea Lydia Maria Child

James was baptized here also, and his royal Mother was present, but not Darnley.
The Spell of Scotland Keith Clark

But the Holy Laws no longer needed the safe shelter of a royal shrine.
Ancient Man Hendrik Willem van Loon

But these, perhaps, were not men actually belonging to the royal Navy.
The British Navy Book Cyril Field

adjective
of, relating to, or befitting a king, queen, or other monarch; regal
(prenominal; often capital) established, chartered by, under the patronage or in the service of royalty: the Royal Society of St George
being a member of a royal family
above the usual or normal in standing, size, quality, etc
(informal) unusually good or impressive; first-rate
(nautical) just above the topgallant (in the phrase royal mast)
noun
(sometimes capital) (informal) a member of a royal family
Also called royal stag. a stag with antlers having 12 or more branches
(nautical) a sail set next above the topgallant, on a royal mast
a size of printing paper, 20 by 25 inches
(mainly Brit) Also called small royal. a size of writing paper, 19 by 24 inches
any of various book sizes, esp 61/4 by 10 inches (royal octavo), 63/4 by 101/4 inches (super royal octavo), and (chiefly Brit) 10 by 121/2 inches (royal quarto) and 101/4 by 131/2 inches (super royal quarto)
adj.

mid-13c., “fit for a king;” late 14c., “pertaining to a king,” from Old French roial “royal, regal; splendid, magnificent” (12c., Modern French royal), from Latin regalis “of a king, kingly, royal, regal,” from rex (genitive regis) “king” (see rex). Meaning “thorough, total” attested from 1940s; that of “splendid, first-rate” from 1853.

Battle royal (1670s) preserves the French custom of putting the adjective after the noun (cf. attorney general); the sense of the adjective here is “on a grand scale” (cf. pair-royal “three of a kind in cards or dice,” c.1600). The Royal Oak was a tree in Boscobel in Shropshire in which Charles II hid himself during flight after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Sprigs of oak were worn to commemorate his restoration in 1660.
n.

“royal person,” c.1400, from royal (adj.). Specifically “member of the royal family” from 1774.

adjective

Thorough; definitive: gives me a royal pain in the ass (1940s+)