Pride
collective noun /praɪd/ — What you call a group of lions — named for the emotion their regal presence inspires.
Definition
The collective noun for a group of lions living and hunting together, typically consisting of related females, their cubs, and a small number of adult males.
Beyond the definition
Of all the collective nouns, pride might be the most fitting. Lions are the only truly social big cats — and the pride is the unit that makes them apex predators. There's something poetic about naming their group after the emotion their presence inspires.
Origin & history
From Old English prȳde — the state of holding oneself high. Applied to lions likely because of their regal bearing and the majestic impression they make.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
A pride of lions rested in the shade, conserving energy for the evening hunt.
The pride moved as one — an unhurried, terrifying unity.
She photographed the pride at dawn, when the light turned their manes to gold.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Pride” when the meaning fits your context: The collective noun for a group of lions living and hunting together, typically consisting of related females, their cubs, and a small number of adult males.
Synonyms
group, pack, troop, family
Related words
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
A safari guide once described the first time she'd watched a pride at dawn — the whole group arranged around a waterhole in the low, golden light, each animal apparently aware of its exact position in something much larger than itself.
"They move as one thing," she said. "Not because they're commanded to. Because that's what they are."
Of all the collective nouns in English, this one may be the most earned. The pride is the unit that makes lions what they are. Remove any part of it and the whole becomes less. The name acknowledges this.
Questions about this word
What does "Pride" mean?
Pride is collective noun meaning: What you call a group of lions — named for the emotion their regal presence inspires.. The collective noun for a group of lions living and hunting together, typically consisting of related females, their cubs, and a small number of adult males.
Where does the word "Pride" come from?
From Old English prȳde — the state of holding oneself high. Applied to lions likely because of their regal bearing and the majestic impression they make.