also: ぜんおう
former king; late king
Refers to a previous monarch, either still alive (former) or deceased (late). Context determines which nuance applies.
In the time of the former king, this country was more peaceful.
The late king's funeral was held as a state funeral.
Standard kanji spelling. The reading ぜんのう is more common than ぜんおう.
Alternate reading, less common. Learners should prefer ぜんのう.
Compound of 前 (previous) and 王 (king). The reading ぜんのう is the standard on'yomi combination; ぜんおう is a less common variant.