What does regina mean?
In contemporary English, regina most often appears in North American English as the name of a firm, usually fruit-flavored candy. The word also has a formal and increasingly archaic sense meaning a queen or female sovereign, especially in Latin, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and other historical contexts; inscriptions and titles often make this use clear. Dictionaries also record an old, now rare sense for a variety of pear. As an ordinary synonym for queen, regina can sound ceremonial, foreign, or deliberately traditional rather than conversational. Its value for modern readers is partly historical: it comes directly from Latin regina, the feminine counterpart of rex, “king,” and belongs to the same family of words as regal, regent, regency, and royal. Thus regina is simultaneously a familiar North American candy term and a precise historical marker of female sovereignty.
nounA queen or female sovereign, now chiefly encountered in historical, literary, or foreign titles. In North American English, regina also denotes a firm, usually fruit-flavored candy; the name of an old pear variety is now rare.
- In North American English, a firm, usually fruit-flavored candy.
- A queen or female sovereign, especially in Latin, historical, literary, or foreign contexts.
- Formerly, a variety of pear.
"The inscription identifies her as regina, the queen."
"She bought a piece of regina from the confectionery."
"In the inscription, regina identifies the woman as a queen."
Reginas is the standard English plural and may refer to multiple sovereigns or individual candies.
"The collection includes several reginas from the confectionery."
Regina is Latin for queen—the feminine counterpart of rex, or king—so one word preserves an entire royal language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does regina come from?
Regina comes from Latin regina, the feminine counterpart of rex, “king,” and denotes a queen or female ruler. It reached English as a royal title used in historical and foreign contexts. Its root reg- is also associated with ruling and authority and appears in cognates such as regal, regency, regent, and royal.
Related word forms
How regina is actually used
As an ordinary English word for a female sovereign, regina sounds formal, archaic, or context-specific and is much less common than queen. Its candy meaning is chiefly North American. Regina is also widely used as a proper name, including the capital of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Easily confused with regina
A regina is a female sovereign or queen, whereas a regent exercises royal power on behalf of another monarch.