What does regalement mean?
Regalement is a rare noun referring to a royal or exceptionally lavish feast, banquet, or act of entertainment. It emphasizes the grandeur and generosity of the treatment provided, particularly for a monarch, noble guest, or other distinguished visitor. In older usage, the word could also denote the act of entertaining someone in this lavish manner. Modern speakers would usually use “feast,” “banquet,” or “entertainment” instead. Regalement is chiefly historical and formal, surviving chiefly in literary, antiquarian, and legal contexts rather than everyday conversation. Its rarity gives it a distinctly ceremonial flavour: it evokes courtly hospitality, lavish display, and the traditions of royal banqueting.
A feast or lavish entertainment provided for a monarch or other distinguished guest.
"The palace kitchens prepared a magnificent regalement for the ambassador."
Rare and chiefly historical; in modern English, “royal banquet” is more natural.
The act of entertaining someone royally or lavishly.
"The regalement of the queen’s visitors was arranged with great ceremony."
Less common than the sense of the feast itself.
Plural forms are rare in modern use; “regalements” is the standard plural.
"The chronicles described several regalements held at the castle."
Regalement belongs to the vocabulary of lavish royal hospitality: it names not merely entertainment, but the act of entertaining someone regally.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does regalement come from?
Regalement was formed from “regale,” a verb meaning to entertain royally or lavishly, with the suffix “-ment” indicating an action or resulting state. “Regale” in turn comes from Latin regalis, meaning “royal” or “kingly,” from rex, meaning “king.” The same Latin family produced “regal,” “regalia,” and “regality.”
How regalement is actually used
This is a rare, somewhat archaic noun. It is not the standard modern word for a royal ceremony or a government order.