oligarchy

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noun ol·i·gar·chy \ ˈä-lə-ˌgär-kē , ˈō- \

Definition of oligarchy

plural oligarchies

1 :government by the few

The corporation is ruled by oligarchy.

2 :a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes

a military oligarchy was established in the country

; also :a group exercising such control

An oligarchy ruled the nation.

3 :an organization under oligarchic control

That country is an oligarchy.

See oligarchy defined for English-language learners

See oligarchy defined for kids

Examples of oligarchy in a Sentence

Their nation is an oligarchy.
An oligarchy rules their nation.
The corporation is ruled by oligarchy.

Recent Examples of oligarchy from the Web

The guy made a career lobbying for really terrible people, eventually (and inevitably) lobbying for really terrible people connected to the crooked Russian oligarchy.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "If Manafort Is Guilty, Would He Flip on Trump?," 10 Aug. 2017
Before the Civil War the South was, despite the political order’s ostensible liberalism, a tyrannical oligarchy.

— sheri berman, Washington Post, "Some argue that the West should limit democracy to save liberalism. Here’s why they’re wrong.," 18 July 2017
Amid such extreme imbalances, Sitaraman argues, we are now faced with a choice—to accept our current state of oligarchy, or to attempt to restore the equality on which the republic was founded.

— win mccormack, New Republic, "Created Equal," 14 July 2017
As in Iran, the bite of sanctions has been felt primarily by the poor and unemployed, while the oligarchy has managed to keep itself in furs.

— jonah shepp, Daily Intelligencer, "Putin Says Economic Sanctions Are Making Russia Stronger — He’s Not Totally Wrong," 20 June 2017
The wealthy were a corrupt oligarchy that needed to be shattered.

— matt pearce, latimes.com, "Virginia gunman hated Republicans, and 'was always in his own little world'," 14 June 2017
This oligarchy, made up of Chavez's political heirs, is the third major component of the real power in Venezuela.

— moisés naím, The Atlantic, "Nicolas Maduro Doesn't Really Control Venezuela," 25 May 2017
Of course, Maduro; his wife, Cilia Flores; and many of his relatives and associates are part of that oligarchy.

— moisés naím, The Atlantic, "Nicolas Maduro Doesn't Really Control Venezuela," 25 May 2017
The most important component of this oligarchy is the Cuban regime.

— moisés naím, The Atlantic, "Nicolas Maduro Doesn't Really Control Venezuela," 25 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oligarchy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

oligarchy and Other Words for Rulers

Oligarchy is one of numerous English words for a type of rule or government. Some of these words, such as plutocracy, have an exceedingly similar meaning (both may be used to refer to rule by an economic elite, but oligarchy often has the additional connotation of corruption). Besides these two, we have meritocracy “a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement,” monarchy “a form of government in which a country is ruled by a king or queen,” ochlocracy “government by the mob," and gerontocracy “rule by elders,” among many others.

First Known Use of oligarchy

1542

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

OLIGARCHY Defined for English Language Learners

oligarchy

play

noun

Definition of oligarchy for English Language Learners

: a country, business, etc., that is controlled by a small group of people
: the people that control a country, business, etc.
: government or control by a small group of people

Learn More about oligarchy

See words that rhyme with oligarchy Spanish Central: Translation of oligarchy Nglish: Translation of oligarchy for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oligarchy

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oligarchy

Definition of oligarchy

Examples of oligarchy in a Sentence

Recent Examples of oligarchy from the Web

oligarchy and Other Words for Rulers

First Known Use of oligarchy

Other Government and Politics Terms

OLIGARCHY Defined for English Language Learners

oligarchy

Definition of oligarchy for English Language Learners

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oligarchy

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