plural -archies
: rule : government
squirearchy

Word History

Etymology

Latin -archia, from Greek, from archein to rule — more at arch-

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“-archy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/-archy. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

-archy

noun combining form
-ar·​chy
ˌär-kē
in some words also ər-kē
plural -archies
: rule : government
matriarchy
Etymology

derived from Greek archein "to rule"

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster