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

Gulf monarchies have the luxury of planning decades ahead without the nuisance of elections. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026

The progress from an absolute to a limited monarchy, from a limited monarchy to a democracy, is a progress toward a true respect for the individual. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Hilary Beckles, head of the Caribbean Reparations Commission, said at a recent press conference that the region has never been better prepared to confront Britain and the monarchy about its links to slavery. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Those include acknowledging the monarchy’s own institutional role in colonialism and slavery and commissioning an independent investigation into its history, as King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has done. — Brooke N. Newman, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing monarchy

• absolute 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