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

Queen Sofía, Queen Sonja of Norway, and Beatrix of the Netherlands all embody the key institutional values essential to preserving the monarchy in their respective countries. — Nuria Hernández, Vanity Fair, 10 Nov. 2026

His conservative and authoritarian father, Ludwig, raised his only child to revere the monarchy and take pride in their country’s achievements. — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026

Prince William and Prince George flying together also goes against traditional protocol that indicates that the direct heirs to the throne do not travel together, in an effort to secure the future of the monarchy in the event of a tragic accident. — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2026

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