What does principality mean?
Word: Principality
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Principality means a country or area of land that is ruled by a prince.
How do you spell principality?
Syllables: prin - ci - pal - i - ty
Tricky part: The middle part is pal, the friendly word for a mate; many pupils write ple there instead.
Watch out for: principlity, principelity, principallity
Memory tip: Picture a prince waving to his pal from the palace: pal sits in the middle of principality.
Principality in a sentence
Example 1: The prince opened a new library for the children of his principality.
Example 2: Andorra, high in the Pyrenees mountains, is a tiny principality with two co-princes.
Example 3: Our history book shows a map of a small principality surrounded by forests.
Fun Fact
Monaco, a principality on the French Riviera, covers only about two square kilometres. The Grimaldi family has ruled it, with a few breaks, since 1297.
Practise the CREST Way
Mingle-Mangle
The jumbled word in the sentence hides a real word. Choose it:
The prince waved from the palace balcony as the whole piitiaylcprn cheered below.
a) partiality
b) practicality
c) principality
d) punctuality
Show answer
c) principality. Only principality uses the n, both p's and the c; each of the other three needs letters the jumble lacks.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
prin_ipal_ty
a) s, i
b) c, e
c) s, e
d) c, i
Show answer
d) c, i. A c follows prin, as it does in prince, and the word ends in ity.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
principalitty
a) y
b) l
c) p
d) t
Show answer
d) t. A single t sits between the last i and the y.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. monarchy 2. republic 3. dinasty 4. principality
a) a small country whose ruler is a prince
b) a country whose leader is chosen by the people
c) a line of rulers from the same family
d) a country ruled by a king or queen
Show answer
c) a line of rulers from the same family. Dynasty begins dy, not di, so the misspelt word is the one for a family line of rulers.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which country below is a principality?
a) Liechtenstein
b) Switzerland
c) Nepal
d) Portugal
Show answer
a) Liechtenstein
2. In British English, which part of the United Kingdom is known as the Principality?
a) Wales
b) Northern Ireland
c) Scotland
d) England
Show answer
a) Wales
