King vs. Lord: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
A king is a monarch who rules a kingdom and typically holds sovereign power, while a lord is a title used for nobility or authority figures, often occupying a position below a king in the hierarchy of a monarchy.
Key Differences
Kings are sovereign rulers of entire kingdoms, holding the highest authority in their realm. Lords, in contrast, are nobility or landowners with authority, often subordinate to a king and ruling smaller areas or groups.
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The title of king historically signifies the ruler of a nation or large territory, often inheriting the position by birthright. The title of lord is more varied in its origins, often granted by a monarch or inherited, and can apply to different ranks within nobility.
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A king typically has wider governance responsibilities, overseeing the welfare, defense, and laws of an entire kingdom. Lords have more localized duties, managing their estates, lands, or specific administrative roles within a kingdom.
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Historically, kings wielded supreme power, often seen as divinely appointed. Lords were part of the feudal system, serving as landowners, knights, or local rulers, holding allegiance to a king or higher noble.
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Kings are often symbols of national unity and power, representing their kingdoms at home and abroad. Lords represent the aristocracy or upper classes, playing key roles in local governance and societal hierarchy.
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Comparison Chart
Rank in Hierarchy
Highest sovereign ruler
Noble or authority figure, below king
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Role in Government
National leader, policymaker
Local administrator, landowner
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Historical Significance
Symbol of national sovereignty
Part of feudal nobility and land system
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King and Lord Definitions
King
A male monarch of a country or major territorial unit.
The king decreed a national holiday.
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Lord
A man of high rank in a feudal society or in one that retains feudal forms and institutions.
The lord of the manor was well-respected.
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King
The most important chess piece, whose capture is the game's objective.
He strategically moved his king to avoid checkmate.
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Lord
A man who has authority over others, especially a master or ruler.
The workers looked up to their lord for guidance.
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King
A playing card with the picture of a king.
She won the hand with a pair of kings.
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Lord
A general title for a male of noble birth or high office.
Lord Smith was a prominent figure in the council.
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King
One that is supreme or preeminent in a particular group, category, or sphere
"In many countries, soccer is the king of sports" (Cameron W. Barr).
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King
A man chosen as the winner of a contest or the honorary head of an event
A homecoming king.
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King
Abbr. K A playing card bearing the figure of a king, ranking above a queen.
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King
Abbr. K The principal chess piece, which can move one square in any direction and must be protected against checkmate.
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King
A piece in checkers that has been moved to the last row on the opponent's side of the board and been crowned, thus becoming free to move both forward and backward.
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Lord
Used as a title for certain high officials and dignitaries
Lord Chamberlain.
The Lord Mayor of London.
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King
A male monarch; a man who heads a monarchy. If it is an absolute monarchy, then he is the supreme ruler of his nation.
Henry VIII was the king of England from 1509 to 1547.
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King
A powerful or majorly influential person.
Howard Stern styled himself as the "king of all media".
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King
Something that has a preeminent position.
In times of financial panic, cash is king.
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King
(chess) The principal chess piece, that players seek to threaten with unavoidable capture to result in a victory by checkmate. It is often the tallest piece, with a symbolic crown with a cross at the top.
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Lord
To insist upon or boast about so as to act in a domineering or superior manner
"He had lorded over her his self-proclaimed spiritual and poetic superiority" (David Leavitt).
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King
(card games) A playing card with the letter "K" and the image of a king on it, the thirteenth card in a given suit.
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Lord
To act in a domineering or superior manner
An upperclassman lording over the younger students.
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King
A checker (a piece of checkers/draughts) that reached the farthest row forward, thus becoming crowned (either by turning it upside-down, or by stacking another checker on it) and gaining more freedom of movement.
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Lord
To have a prominent or dominating position
The castle lords over the valley.
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Lord
(obsolete) The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
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King
The monarch with the most power and authority in a monarchy, regardless of sex.
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Lord
One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
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King
(graph theory) A vertex in a directed graph which can reach every other vertex via a path with a length of at most 2.
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Lord
One possessing similar mastery in figurative senses (esp. as lord of ~)
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King
To promote a piece of draughts/checkers that has traversed the board to the opposite side, that piece subsequently being permitted to move backwards as well as forwards.
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Lord
(astrology) The heavenly body considered to possess a dominant influence over an event, time, etc.
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King
A Chinese musical instrument, consisting of resonant stones or metal plates, arranged according to their tones in a frame of wood, and struck with a hammer.
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King
A chief ruler; a sovereign; one invested with supreme authority over a nation, country, or tribe, usually by hereditary succession; a monarch; a prince.
Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are rebels from principle.
There was a State without king or nobles.
But yonder comes the powerful King of Day,Rejoicing in the east
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King
One who, or that which, holds a supreme position or rank; a chief among competitors; as, a railroad king; a money king; the king of the lobby; the king of beasts.
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Lord
(transitive) To invest with the dignity, power, and privileges of a lord; to grant the title of lord.
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King
A playing card having the picture of a king{1}; as, the king of diamonds.
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Lord
One who has power and authority; a master; a ruler; a governor; a prince; a proprietor, as of a manor.
But now I was the lordOf this fair mansion.
Man over menHe made not lord.
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Lord
A titled nobleman., whether a peer of the realm or not; a bishop, as a member of the House of Lords; by courtesy; the son of a duke or marquis, or the eldest son of an earl; in a restricted sense, a baron, as opposed to noblemen of higher rank.
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Lord
A title bestowed on the persons above named; and also, for honor, on certain official persons; as, lord advocate, lord chamberlain, lord chancellor, lord chief justice, etc.
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King
To supply with a king; to make a king of; to raise to royalty.
Those traitorous captains of Israel who kinged themselves by slaying their masters and reigning in their stead.
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Lord
One of whom a fee or estate is held; the male owner of feudal land; as, the lord of the soil; the lord of the manor.
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King
Preeminence in a particular category or group or field;
The lion is the king of beasts
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Lord
To play the lord; to domineer; to rule with arbitrary or despotic sway; - sometimes with over; and sometimes with it in the manner of a transitive verb; as, rich students lording it over their classmates.
The whiles she lordeth in licentious bliss.
I see them lording it in London streets.
And lorded over them whom now they serve.
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King
United States charismatic civil rights leader and Baptist minister who campaigned against the segregation of Blacks (1929-1968)
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King
A checker that has been moved to the opponent's first row where it is promoted to a piece that is free to move either forward or backward
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King
A man who is the best or most important in his field.
He was hailed as the king of blues guitar.
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Lord
A deity or revered figure.
They offered prayers to the Lord for a good harvest.
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King
A large, impressive, or important person or thing.
That massive oak tree is the king of the forest.
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Lord
Used in various compound titles.
Lord Justice Smith presided over the court.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Are all lords royalty?
Not necessarily, they are often nobles but not always royalty.
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Can a king also be a lord?
Yes, a king can hold the title of lord in certain contexts.
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Can a woman hold the title of king?
Traditionally no, but in some cultures, female rulers have been considered equivalent to kings.
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Do lords play a role in modern governments?
In some countries with hereditary nobility, they do.
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Do kings have absolute power?
In some historical and contemporary contexts, yes.
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Do lords have judicial power?
Historically, many lords held judicial powers over their lands.
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Can a king be elected?
In some historical contexts, kings were elected, but it's rare today.
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Can a king be a military leader?
Historically, many kings also led their armies.
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Is a king's role symbolic or active?
It can be either, depending on the country and government structure.
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Does a king have more power than a lord?
Generally, yes, in terms of political and social hierarchy.
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What responsibilities do lords have?
Historically, managing their estates and overseeing local affairs.
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Do lords still have feudal duties?
In modern times, traditional feudal duties have mostly disappeared.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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