william

william — noun

1. The shared name of four English kings who ruled at different times between the 1

1.nounB1
Definition

The shared name of four English kings who ruled at different times between the 11th and 19th centuries. William I (known as William the Conqueror) took the throne in 1066 after defeating King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. His son ruled next as William II (William Rufus). Centuries later, William III (William of Orange) became king after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The last was William IV, the uncle of Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1830 to 1837.

Example

Asher prepared a presentation about William the Conqueror's impact on English law and language.

William + the Conqueror — name with historical epithet

The documentary traced how William III helped to establish parliamentary democracy in Britain.

William III — name with regnal number

Common collocations
  • William the Conqueror
  • William Rufus
  • William of Orange
  • King William
  • reign of William

Grammar Patterns

William + [Roman numeral]

William + epithet (the Conqueror, of Orange)

Usage Note

In formal historical writing, always include the regnal numeral (William I, II, III, IV) or a traditional epithet (the Conqueror, William Rufus, of Orange) on first mention to avoid confusion among the four kings. In informal contexts, 'William the Conqueror' alone usually refers to William I, while the other three require a numeral or epithet for clarity.

Common Mistakes

William was king of England starting in 1066.
William I (the Conqueror) became king of England in 1066.
Always specify which William you mean, since four different kings share the name.

Word family

  • Williamite
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words can appear in historical writing about England, they differ in specificity. 'William' is a proper name that picks out a particular person — it tells you exactly which figure is being discussed, assuming the numeral or epithet is given. 'King' is a title that describes a role but could refer to any ruler of a kingdom. 'Monarch' emphasizes the hereditary and institutional nature of the position and sounds more formal, while 'sovereign' is the most abstract, stressing supreme authority rather than the person holding it. In a sentence like 'King William III accepted the Bill of Rights in 1689', 'King' is a title attached to the name. If you replace 'William' with 'the monarch', you lose the identity: 'The monarch accepted the Bill of Rights' could refer to any English king or queen, not specifically William III. Use 'William' when the identity matters; use 'king' or 'monarch' when the role itself is the focus.

William ↗king ↗monarchsovereign ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • King William
  • William the Conqueror
  • William Rufus
  • William of Orange

Phrases

  • William I through IV
  • the reign of William
  • under William the Conqueror

Prepositions

  • William of [place]
  • reign of William

Etymology

Old High GermanOld Norman FrenchEnglish

The name William comes from the Old Norman French form of the Old High German name Willahelm, a combination of 'will' (meaning 'will, desire') and 'helm' (meaning 'helmet, protection'). It was introduced to England by William the Conqueror after the Norman invasion of 1066 and quickly became one of the most widespread given names in the English-speaking world.