Kingdom

Pronunciation: /KING-duhm/

Category: Taxonomy

Singular: Kingdom

Plural: Kingdoms

Definition

The highest taxonomic rank used to classify organisms, consisting of related phyla or divisions. In entomology and arachnology, insects and arachnids belong to the Animalia kingdom.

Etymology

From Old English 'cyningdōm,' where 'cyning' means 'king' and 'dōm' means 'domain' or 'jurisdiction.'

Example

Insects and arachnids are classified under the kingdom Animalia.

Synonyms

Domain

Related Terms

Phylum
Class
Order
family
Genus
Species

Usage Notes

In modern biological classification, kingdoms are one of the broadest categories and include multiple phyla. The five-kingdom system has been largely replaced by a three-domain system consisting of Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya.