monarchy
noun
mon·ar·chy
ˈmä-nər-kē 
also -ˌnär-
plural monarchies
1
: undivided rule or absolute sovereignty by a single person
Saudi Arabia is governed by a monarchy.
2
: a nation or state having a monarchical government
Britain is a monarchy.
3
: a government having a hereditary chief of state with life tenure and powers varying from nominal to absolute
The country's hereditary monarchy survived for centuries.
Examples of monarchy in a Sentence
the French monarchy of the 18th century
Recent Examples on the Web
The Fine Print • An autocrat rules with absolute power by legitimate means, often within a long-standing or established political system such as a monarchy.
—
Hazlitt, 10 Apr. 2024
These dire predictions about the monarchy’s imminent collapse came from pundits and pretty much everyone one else in the world who thought that the people around Kate Middleton, including her husband and palace aides, had badly handled global concerns about her health and whereabouts.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
At the same time, MBS has pushed through the most radical remake of the country since the Saud dynasty founded its absolute monarchy in the 1930s—including outward liberalization in what had long been one of the world’s most religiously conservative countries.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
While Buckingham Palace is synonymous with the British royals and serves as the hub of the monarchy’s operations, King Charles and Queen Camilla don’t actually live there!
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
In 1893, a group of Americans overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy and instilled their own provisional government.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
The public will be paying extra attention to how the family is coping and will be a key indicator if Britons still have faith in the monarchy.
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
The diagnoses mark the first time in the monarchy’s history that two senior royals are facing the disease simultaneously.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
The story is in no sense a petition for the return of the monarchy but contrasts Old World gentility with the heartlessness of the surveillance state, culture against the assassination of culture.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Hazlitt, 10 Apr. 2024
These dire predictions about the monarchy’s imminent collapse came from pundits and pretty much everyone one else in the world who thought that the people around Kate Middleton, including her husband and palace aides, had badly handled global concerns about her health and whereabouts.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
At the same time, MBS has pushed through the most radical remake of the country since the Saud dynasty founded its absolute monarchy in the 1930s—including outward liberalization in what had long been one of the world’s most religiously conservative countries.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
While Buckingham Palace is synonymous with the British royals and serves as the hub of the monarchy’s operations, King Charles and Queen Camilla don’t actually live there!
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
In 1893, a group of Americans overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy and instilled their own provisional government.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
The public will be paying extra attention to how the family is coping and will be a key indicator if Britons still have faith in the monarchy.
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
The diagnoses mark the first time in the monarchy’s history that two senior royals are facing the disease simultaneously.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
The story is in no sense a petition for the return of the monarchy but contrasts Old World gentility with the heartlessness of the surveillance state, culture against the assassination of culture.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monarchy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to monarchy
Dictionary Entries Near monarchy
Cite this Entry
“Monarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarchy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
monarchy
noun
mon·ar·chy
ˈmän-ər-kē
plural monarchies
1
: total rule by one person
2
: a nation or country ruled by a monarch
3
: a form of government having a chief of state who inherits the position, rules for life, and holds powers varying from very limited to total
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