1. royalty(n = noun.possession) - payment to the holder of a patent or copyright or resource for the right to use their property; "he received royalties on his book"
is a kind of payment
2. royalty(n = noun.group) royal family, royal house, royal line - royal persons collectively; "the wedding was attended by royalty"
is a kind of house
has particulars: hanover, hanoverian line, house of hanover, habsburg, hapsburg, hohenzollern, house of lancaster, lancaster, lancastrian line, plantagenet, plantagenet line, romanoff, romanov, saxe-coburg-gotha, stuart, house of york, york
1. The state of being royal; the condition or quality of a royal person; kingship; kingly office; sovereignty. [1913 Webster]
"Royalty by birth was the sweetest way of majesty." [1913 Webster]
2. The person of a king or sovereign; majesty; as, in the presence of royalty. [1913 Webster]
"For thus his royalty doth speak." [1913 Webster]
3. An emblem of royalty; -- usually in the plural, meaning regalia. [1913 Webster]
"Wherefore do I assume
These royalties, and not refuse to reign?" [1913 Webster]
4. Kingliness; spirit of regal authority. [1913 Webster]
"In his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd." [1913 Webster]
5. Domain; province; sphere. Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]
6. That which is due to a sovereign, as a seigniorage on gold and silver coined at the mint, metals taken from mines, etc.; the tax exacted in lieu of such share; imperiality. [1913 Webster]
7. A share of the product or profit (as of a mine, forest, etc.), reserved by the owner for permitting another to use the property. [1913 Webster]
8. Hence
royalty, n. (pl. -ies)
1 the office or dignity or power of a king or queen, sovereignty.
2 a royal persons. b a member of a royal family.
3 a sum paid to a patentee for the use of a patent or to an author etc. for each copy of a book etc. sold or for each public performance of a work.
4 a a royal right (now esp. over minerals) granted by the sovereign to an individual or corporation. b a payment made by a producer of minerals, oil, or natural gas to the owner of the site or of the mineral rights over it.
Etymology:
ME f. OF roialt{eacute} (as ROYAL)
N government, legal authority, soveriegn, sovereign authority, authority, master, direction, national government, nation, state, country, nation- state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic, kingdom, principality, state government, state, shire, province, county, canton, territory, duchy, archduchy, archdukedom, woiwodshaft, commonwealth, region, property, county, parish city, domain, tract, arrondissement, mofussil, commune, wappentake, hundred, riding, lathe, garth, soke, tithing, ward, precinct, bailiwick, command, empire, sway, rule, dominion, domination, sovereignty, supremacy, suzerainty, lordship, headship, chiefdom, seigniory, seigniority, rule, sway, command, control, administer, govern, lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne, occupy the throne, sway the scepter, wield the scepter, wear the crown, state, realm, body politic, posse comitatus, judicature, cabinet, seat of government, seat of authority, headquarters, accession, installation, politics, reign, regime, dynasty, directorship, dictatorship, protectorate, protectorship, caliphate, pashalic, electorate, presidency, presidentship, administration, proconsul, consulship, prefecture, seneschalship, magistrature, magistracy, monarchy, kinghood, kingship, royalty, regality, aristarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, demagogy, commonwealth, dominion, heteronomy, republic, republicanism, socialism, collectivism, mob law, mobocracy, ochlocracy, vox populi, imperium in imperio, bureaucracy, beadledom, bumbledom, stratocracy, military power, military government, junta, feodality, feudal system, feudalism, thearchy, theocracy, dinarchy, duarchy, triarchy, heterarchy, duumvirate, triumvirate, autocracy, autonomy, limited monarchy, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, home rule, representative government, monocracy, pantisocracy, gynarchy, gynocracy, gynaeocracy, petticoat government, legislature, judiciary, administration, office of the president, office of the prime minister, cabinet, senate, house of representatives, parliament, council, courts, supreme court, state, interior, labor, health and human services, defense, education, agriculture, justice, commerce, treasury, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Postal Service, Post Office, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, president, vice president, cabinet member, prime minister, minister, senator, representatative, president pro tem, speaker of the house, department head, section head, section chief, federal judge, justice, justice of the supreme court, chief justice, treasurer, secretary of the treasury, director of the FBI, governor, state cabinet member, state senator, assemblyman, assemblywoman, regal, sovereign, governing, royal, royalist, monarchical, kingly, imperial, imperiatorial, princely, feudal, aristocratic, autocratic, oligarchic, republican, dynastic, ruling, regnant, gubernatorial, imperious, authoritative, executive, administrative, clothed with authority, official, departmental, ex officio, imperative, peremptory, overruling, absolute, hegemonic, hegemonical, authorized, government, public, national, federal, his majesty's, her majesty's, state, county, city, N, a dog's obeyed in office, cada uno tiene su alguazil, le Roi le veut, regibus esse manus en nescio longas, regnant populi, the demigod Authority, the right divine of kings to govern wrong, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.