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

George Gross, an expert on theology and the monarchy at King’s College London, highlighted the church’s continuing divergence from the Catholic Church, which forbids women from being ordained as priests, much less as serving as the religion’s global spiritual leader. —Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026

The British monarchy is known for its princely palaces, but not all properties in the Crown’s portfolio are created equal. —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026

The royal sisters and their husbands joined King Charles and other members of the royal family for the traditional church outing at Sandringham on Christmas, aligning themselves with the monarchy while their parents were banished from the gathering. —Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026

In 1979 the country witnessed an Islamic revolution that overthrew the Shah of Iran and replaced the monarchy with a theocratic government. —Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing monarchy

• constitutional monarchy

Kids 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