oligarch

noun

ol·​i·​garch ˈä-lə-ˌgärk  ˈō- 

plural oligarchs

1

: a member or supporter of an oligarchy

2

in Russia and other countries that succeeded the Soviet Union : one of a class of individuals who through private acquisition of state assets amassed great wealth that is stored especially in foreign accounts and properties and who typically maintain close links to the highest government circles

But what does it really mean to be a Russian oligarch … ? … in Russian politics, the term first came about in the 1990s to describe a dozen or so powerful men who amassed immense wealth following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

—The Business Insider

The task force will pool the resources of the countries' law enforcement divisions to track down the assets of Russian oligarchs stashed overseas, a difficult task complicated by the opaque or complicated financial instruments frequently used by Russian financial elites to hide their holdings from public view.

—Jeff Stein

… young Armenians, who joined the protests in droves, angry that the same small club of politicians and oligarchs has controlled the country since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

—Neil Macfarquhar

Examples of oligarch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Life under the Russian oligarch included major wins on the pitch and big losses on the club’s income statement. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Farhad Vladi, founder of Vladi Private Islands and one of the world's most experienced private-island brokers, has seen the market broaden beyond the traditional stereotype of oligarchs and billionaires. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

The club was bought by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in 2003, a move that ushered in the modern era of staggering foreign money running Premier League clubs, and Chelsea to the top of global soccer. — Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Forcing those carriers to stop flying to Russia would make life less comfortable for officials, oligarchs, and other wealthy loyalists of President Vladimir Putin. — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek oligárchēs, from olig- olig- + -archēs -arch entry 1, after Greek oligarcheîsthai "to be ruled by an oligarchy," oligarchía oligarchy

First Known Use

circa 1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oligarch

• disembark
• matriarch
• meadowlark
• patriarch
• watermark
• arc
• ark
• bark
• barque
• dark
• hark
• lark