1
as in clique
a small group of people who exercise control over a country, business, etc.
Critics complain that the government is now dominated by an oligarchy of wealthy businesspeople.
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2
as in empire
government that is controlled by a small group of people
The nation was an oligarchy with election results manipulated to maintain a permanent ruling class.
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Recent Examples of oligarchy
The open-source software movement, partly a political project to protect the freedom to tinker and prevent corporate oligarchies from stifling innovation, would become a cornerstone of the technology industry.
—
Jonathan Weber,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Congress has abdicated its power to an oligarchy of billionaires.
—
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
Congress has abdicated its power to an oligarchy of billionaires.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy).
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Jonathan Weber,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Congress has abdicated its power to an oligarchy of billionaires.
—
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
Congress has abdicated its power to an oligarchy of billionaires.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy).
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oligarchy
Noun
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Social rescue arrives in the form of outgoing cool girl Sonya (Molloy), who takes a shine to Coley after a chance encounter in a coffee shop, and invites her to join her clique.
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Under Meza, player cliques developed, stars were pampered, discipline waned.
Noun
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In what is now the desert Southwest, Velarde was born among the remnants of the Spanish empire and lived under the flags of Mexico and Texas; briefly, the Confederacy, though his family opposed it; and finally, under the stars and stripes of the United States of America.
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When religion is made to serve the work of empire rather than the work of liberation, something has gone grievously wrong.
Noun
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They are governed by military juntas that staged coups fueled by resentment toward old Western partners and democratic governments.
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However, its victory over Peru has since been riddled with allegations of match fixing, particularly because Argentina was ruled by a military junta that was accused of using its political influence to secure a favorable result.
Noun
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Building tension gave way to war in 1982, when Argentina, then under a brutal dictatorship, sent a military expedition to the islands.
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Public anger over Chun’s dictatorship led to massive nationwide protests in 1987, forcing him to accept a constitutional revision introducing direct presidential elections, which is widely seen as the start of South Korea’s transition to democracy.
Cite this Entry
“Oligarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oligarchy. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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