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Glite Dictionary
William IV

William IV

1 6.4
King of Britain from 1830 to 1837 who served long in the navy and was son of George III
  • proper noun
: Guillermo IV
  • King William IV ruled from 1830 to 1837.

Examples

  • William IV ascended to the throne in 1830 after the death of his brother George IV.

  • After the death of his brother George IV, William IV ascended the throne in 1830.

  • William IV was known as the 'Sailor King' due to his service in the Royal Navy.

  • The reign of William IV saw significant reforms, including the abolition of slavery in the British Empire.

  • William IV was known for his naval career.

  • The reign of William IV lasted from 1830 to 1837 and included important reforms.

  • William IV, known as the 'Sailor King', had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy.

Surface Forms

William IV main

Morphology

William + IV

Knowing 'William' (a personal name) and 'IV' (the Roman numeral for four) allows a learner to infer this refers to 'William the Fourth' — a person identified by an ordinal — but it does not by itself convey the specific historical role, dates, or that he was King of the United Kingdom from 1830–1837. The construction is partially compositional across languages (monarch ordinals are common), so the identity as 'the fourth William' is transparent, but the full encyclopedic meaning is not, making it only partially predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

William IV was the British king who spent many years serving in the navy, so people called him the 'Sailor King'. That image helps you remember him as the king who became ruler in 1830 and ruled until 1837.