plutocracy

noun
plu·​toc·​ra·​cy | \ plü-ˈtä-krə-sē How to pronounce plutocracy (audio) \
plural plutocracies

Definition of plutocracy

1 : government by the wealthy
2 : a controlling class of the wealthy

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Other Words from plutocracy

plutocrat \ ˈplü-​tə-​ˌkrat How to pronounce plutocracy (audio) \ noun
plutocratic \ ˌplü-​tə-​ˈkra-​tik How to pronounce plutocracy (audio) \ adjective
plutocratically \ ˌplü-​tə-​ˈkra-​ti-​k(ə-​)lē How to pronounce plutocracy (audio) \ adverb

Did You Know?

Ploutos was Greek for "wealth", and Plouton, or Pluto, was one of the names used for the Greek god of the underworld, where all the earth's mineral wealth was stored. So a plutocracy governs or wields power through its money. The economic growth in the U.S. in the late 19th century produced a group of enormously wealthy plutocrats. Huge companies like John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil gained serious political power, and Rockefeller was able to influence lawmakers in states where his businesses operated. For this reason, it was said in 1905 that Ohio and New Jersey were plutocracies, not democracies.

Examples of plutocracy in a Sentence

If only the wealthy can afford to run for public office, are we more a plutocracy than a democracy? corporate greed and America's growing plutocracy
Recent Examples on the Web Inequality is one of the biggest barriers to a functioning democracy: To turn around a slide into plutocracy, Democrats need to address the fact that two-thirds of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck right now. Clio Chang, The New Republic, "Democrats Shouldn’t Just Restore American Democracy. They Should Reinvent It.," 9 Jan. 2021 This odious walled vertical suburb is a civic embarrassment, the embodiment of a runaway plutocracy that places its own interests over the commonweal — and common decency. Mark Lamster, Dallas News, "The 10 best and worst Dallas buildings, 40 years after ‘Why Is Dallas Architecture So Bad?’," 18 Dec. 2020 Even fiscal policy, or the deficit spending favored by the left, has at least the indirect effect of promoting a plutocracy. Thomas Geoghegan, The New Republic, "An FDR-Size Executive Order for Biden," 18 Nov. 2020 That way lies straightforward plutocracy, as those familiar with European social history will know. Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, "The New Aristocracy Discovers “Microschools”," 4 Aug. 2020 But, almost as if to assist the cause, the plutes seemed this year to put on an extended exhibit of performance art whose plain, if unstated, thesis is that plutocracy is maybe a bad idea. Anand Giridharadas, Time, "How America’s Elites Lost Their Grip," 21 Nov. 2019 Properly enforced and supported by other measures, such as meaningful campaign-finance reform and an effective antitrust policy, the new tax could help reverse America’s descent into plutocracy. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, "The Growing Debate Over Elizabeth Warren’s Wealth Tax," 12 Sep. 2019 Before stadium building became another heartless money grab for the American plutocracy, Roy Hofheinz’s Astrodome was a genuine source of civic pride and national curiosity. The Si Staff, SI.com, "100 Figures Who Shaped the NFL’s First Century," 28 Aug. 2019 Bestselling books predicted dystopian outcomes in which society split into a wealthy, robot-owning plutocracy and an unemployed underclass, and repressive governments would be needed to rein in social discontent. The Economist, "A different dystopia: July 2030," 6 July 2019

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

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First Known Use of plutocracy

1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for plutocracy

Greek ploutokratia, from ploutos wealth; akin to Greek plein to sail, float — more at flow

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Time Traveler for plutocracy

Time Traveler

The first known use of plutocracy was in 1631

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Statistics for plutocracy

Last Updated

2 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Plutocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plutocracy. Accessed 16 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for plutocracy

plutocracy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of plutocracy

: government by the richest people
: a country that is ruled by the richest people
: a group of very rich people who have a lot of power

More from Merriam-Webster on plutocracy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for plutocracy

Nglish: Translation of plutocracy for Spanish Speakers

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