royal

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
royal/ˈrɔɪəl/

▶adjective

• 1 relating to or having the status of a king or queen or a member of their family.

• 2 of a quality or size suitable for a king or queen; splendid.

• 3 Brit. informal real; utter (used for emphasis): she's a right royal pain in the behind.

▶noun

• 1 informal a member of the royal family.

• 2 (in full metric royal) a paper size, 636 × 480 mm.

  ■ (in full royal octavo) a book size, 234 × 156 mm.

  ■ (in full royal quarto) a book size, 312 × 237 mm.

• 3 Bell-ringing a system of change-ringing using ten bells.

– phrases
the royal we the use of ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ by a single person, as traditionally used by a sovereign.

– derivatives
royally adverb.

– origin ME: from OFr. roial, from L. regalis ‘regal’.