/ ˈrɔɪəlti; NAmE / noun ( pl. -ies )
1.
[ U ] one or more members of a royal family :
The gala evening was attended by royalty and politicians.
We were treated like royalty.
2.
[ C , usually pl. ] a sum of money that is paid to sb who has written a book, piece of music, etc. each time that it is sold or performed :
All royalties from the album will go to charity.
She received £2 000 in royalties .
3.
[ C , usually pl. ] a sum of money that is paid by an oil or mining company to the owner of the land that they are working on
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French roialte , from roial , from Latin regalis regal. The sense royal right (especially over minerals) (late 15th cent.) developed into the sense payment made by a mineral producer to the site owner (mid 19th cent.), which was then transferred to payments for the use of patents and published materials.