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oligarchy

UK/ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːki/US/ˈɑlɪˌɡɑɹki/
nounC1Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #13,304 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: oligarchies

An oligarchy is rule by a small privileged group. A ruling oligarchy, the oligarchy of the rich, degenerate into oligarchy.

The Greek means rule by the few, and the word has been an accusation since Aristotle used it. The related oligarch now means one of a small number of very rich men with political power, particularly in the former Soviet states.

Definitions of oligarchy

  1. 1nounoligarchyRule by a small privileged group.C1

    “The country was run by an oligarchy of a few rich families.”

oligarchy is a government.

Where it comes from

Greek oligarchia means rule by the few, from oligos, few, plus arche, rule.

  1. Ancient Greek

    ὀλιγαρχία

  2. Latin

    oligarchia

  3. French

    oligarchie

  4. English, today

    oligarchy

Built from

  • ὀλίγος · Ancient Greek — few
  • ἀρχή · Ancient Greek — rule

French oligarchie, from Latin oligarchia, from Ancient Greek ὀλιγαρχία, from ὀλίγος (“few”) + ἀρχή (“rule”). by surface analysis, oligo- + -archy.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

oligarchy in the wild

  • Under this system, an oligarchy can coexist with democratic institutions and doesn't require the wealthy to hold formal government positions to have power.

    Oligarchy

  • Historians have called the period from roughly 1714 to 1783 the "long period of Whig oligarchy".

    Whigs (British political party)

  • The Meiji oligarchy was the new ruling class of Meiji period Japan.

    Meiji oligarchy

  • In Japanese, the Meiji oligarchy is called the domain clique.

    Meiji oligarchy

  • The coup overthrew the democratic government of ancient Athens and replaced it with a short-lived oligarchy known as the Four Hundred.

    Athenian coup of 411 BC

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.