royalty

Meaning

Noun

• The rank, status, power or authority of a monarch.
• People of royal rank, plus their families, treated as a group.
• A royal right or prerogative, such as the exploitation of a natural resource; the granting of such a right; payment received for such a right.
• The payment received by an owner of real property for exploitation of mineral rights in the property.
• Payment made to a writer, composer, inventor etc for the sale or use of intellectual property, invention etc.
• Someone in a privileged position.
• A king and a queen as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em.
• The bounds of a royal burgh.

Origin

• From Middle English royaltee, roialtee, royalte, from Old French roialté, roiauté, realté (compare earlier Old French realted), from Vulgar Latin *rēgālitās, from Latin rēgālis, equivalent to royal + -ty.