sceptre
gb/sˈɛptɚ/ us/sˈɛptɚ/
C1
English
~ 9600
jogar, uralom, trónra ültet
NOUN
C1
1
jogar
C1
Usage pattern:
the [adjective] sceptre of [a ruler/country]
The king entered the hall holding a jewelled sceptre in his right hand.
A király a jobb kezében egy ékköves jogart tartva lépett be a terembe.
The crown and sceptre were placed on a red cushion before the throne.
A koronát és a jogart vörös párnára helyezték a trón elé.
During the coronation, the archbishop presented the sceptre to the new queen.
The ancient bronze sceptre was displayed in a glass case at the museum.
In the painting, the emperor rests his sceptre lightly across his knees.
Learner examples
The queen holds a sceptre in the ceremony.
A királynő jogart tart a szertartáson.
The gold sceptre is a symbol of power.
Az arany jogar a hatalom jelképe.
We saw the old king’s crown and sceptre in the castle.
The prince will one day carry the royal sceptre.
The museum shows a long silver sceptre from the 1600s.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the spelling with American English "scepter" or with the word "spectre" (meaning ghost). Note that "sceptre" and "scepter" refer to the same object; "sceptre" is the usual British spelling.
Meaning
ornamental staff of a monarch
Collocations
royal sceptre
|crown and sceptre
|orb and sceptre
|golden sceptre
|hold the sceptre
|ceremonial sceptre
Synonyms
staff (A general word for a stick or rod; it does not usually suggest royal power unless the context makes it clear.)
|
mace (A ceremonial club-like staff used in some parliaments and ceremonies; similar function as a sceptre but different traditional shape.)
Antonyms
ballot box (Symbolizes democratic choice rather than hereditary royal authority represented by a sceptre.)
Themes
politics
|history
|symbols
|religion
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A special, decorated stick that a king or queen holds in ceremonies to show power and rule.
A decorated staff or rod carried by a king, queen, or other ruler during ceremonies as a symbol of royal authority.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
the sceptre of [a ruler/country]
For fifty years he held the sceptre of that small but proud kingdom.
Ötven évig ő tartotta kezében annak a kicsi, de büszke királyságnak a jogart.
The poet writes of a nation flourishing under the sceptre of a just queen.
A költő arról ír, hogy egy nemzet egy igazságos királynő uralma alatt virágzik.
At last the ageing emperor agreed to pass the sceptre to his eldest daughter.
After the revolution, the sceptre of absolute monarchy was finally broken.
Once he laid down the sceptre, his influence over the court quickly faded.
Learner examples
The prince dreamed of taking the sceptre after his father.
A herceg arról álmodott, hogy apja után átveszi az uralmat.
The people hoped the new king would use the sceptre wisely.
Az emberek remélték, hogy az új király bölcsen él majd a hatalmával.
Many countries no longer live under the sceptre of a king.
In the story, a child suddenly holds the sceptre of the whole land.
The poet says the land was happy under the queen’s sceptre.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense always refers to the physical object. In literary texts, "the sceptre" can mean royal power or rule, even when no actual object is present.
Meaning
royal power or rule
Collocations
wield the sceptre
|under the sceptre of [someone]
|take up the sceptre
|lay down the sceptre
|pass the sceptre to [someone]
Synonyms
sovereignty (More formal and abstract; focuses on the legal and political right to rule rather than the poetic image.)
|
kingship (Emphasizes the role or office of being king rather than the abstract idea of power itself.)
Antonyms
democracy (Represents political power held by the people rather than by a single monarch’s sceptre.)
Themes
politics
|power
|history
|literature
|law
Definition
The power and right of a king or queen to rule a country.
Royal power, rule, or sovereignty, especially that of a king or queen, referred to as if it were a physical sceptre.
VERB
C2
ARCHAIC
3
trónra ültet
C1
Usage pattern:
to sceptre [someone] as [a ruler]
The legend tells how the High King sceptred his youngest son as ruler of the western isles.
A legenda szerint a főkirály legkisebb fiát ültette trónra a nyugati szigetek uralkodójaként.
In the old chronicle, they vowed never again to sceptre a tyrant.
A régi krónikában megesküdtek, hogy soha többé nem ültetnek trónra zsarnokot.
She was sceptred queen of the realm before her twentieth year.
Learner examples
The story says they sceptred the young man as king.
A történet szerint trónra ültették a fiatal férfit mint királyt.
An old book says they will not sceptre another cruel ruler.
Egy régi könyv azt írja, hogy nem fognak többé trónra ültetni még egy kegyetlen uralkodót sem.
The poet calls her a sceptred queen of the land.
Common mistake:
Learners may assume this verb is normal modern English. In fact, "to sceptre" is very rare and archaic; in contemporary English, use "to crown" instead.
Meaning
to invest with a sceptre
Collocations
sceptred king
|sceptred monarch
|sceptre him as king
Synonyms
crown (Common modern verb for making someone king or queen; "sceptre" as a verb is archaic and specifically evokes the giving of the sceptre.)
Antonyms
dethrone (Means to remove a king or queen from power, the opposite of granting royal authority.)
Themes
history
|politics
|literature
|law
Definition
To give a person a sceptre to show that they are now a king or queen.
To present someone with a sceptre as a sign of royal authority or to invest someone with royal power.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sceptre
IPA
GB/sˈɛptɚ/
US/sˈɛptɚ/
Syllables & stress
sceptre (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sceptre)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sceptre
- Plural: sceptres
Verb
- Base: sceptre
- 3rd Person Singular: sceptres
- Present Participle: sceptring
- Past: sceptred
- Past Participle: sceptred
Word family
Forms
sceptres
noun
sceptring
verb
sceptred
verb
Core family
scepter
noun
Expressions
lay down the sceptre
1/lˈeɪ dˈaʊn ðə sˈɛptɚ/
idiom
literary
give up royal power
To stop being king or queen, or to give up a powerful ruling position.
Examples
- Growing old and sick, the king chose to lay down the sceptre and retire to a quiet island.
- The novel ends with the queen laying down the sceptre and passing rule to her daughter.
the sceptre and the crown
1/ðə sˈɛptɚ ˈænd ðə kɹˈaʊn/
fixed phrase
literary
combined symbols of royal power
The main things (the sceptre and the crown) that show a king or queen’s power and position.
Examples
- The poet contrasts the simple life of a farmer with the splendour of the sceptre and the crown.
- In the museum display, the sceptre and the crown are guarded day and night.