Definition of plutocracy
plutocracies
1 : government by the wealthy
2 : a controlling class of the wealthy
From the M-W Editors
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 of plutocracy from the Web
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Disturbed by vanishing jobs, rising plutocracies, melting polar ice caps, not to mention numerous other serious threats to a good night's sleep and a reasonable life for future generations?
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Thanks, Poppy!—in the late 1970s, the Republican Party has staked its political future on magic asterisks, scientific illiteracy, and on camouflaging plutocracy in overalls and a CAT hat.
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But the MID isn’t just a symbol of housing policy falling prey to plutocracy.
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Some of these cities are becoming hubs of the global plutocracy.
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Can Trump marginalize those who question his plutocracy?
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Can Trump marginalize those who question his plutocracy?
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But in this case the opacity is obscuring the rise of a new American plutocracy.
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.
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.
Origin and Etymology of plutocracy
Greek ploutokratia, from ploutos wealth; akin to Greek plein to sail, float — more at flow
Other Government and Politics Terms
PLUTOCRACY Defined for English Language Learners
plutocracy
playDefinition of plutocracy for English Language Learners
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: government by the richest people
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: a country that is ruled by the richest people
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: a group of very rich people who have a lot of power
Learn More about plutocracy
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Spanish Central: Translation of plutocracy Nglish: Translation of plutocracy for Spanish speakers
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