1
as in monarchism
a system of government in which there is only one ruler whose power is unlimited
Under a monarchy, the position of ruler is often passed down from parent to child.
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2
as in democracy
a group of people who live in a territory ruled by a single person
The country was formerly a monarchy, but has now transitioned to a republic.
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Recent Examples of monarchy
Although the Shah never officially abdicated, the Iranian population voted in a national referendum on April 1 to become an Islamic republic and to make Khomeini the country's supreme leader, effectively replacing the Shah's secular authoritarian monarchy with an anti-Western theocracy.
—
Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
Whoever prevails will become Nepal’s 16th prime minister in less than two decades, underscoring the recurring political instability that has marked the Himalayan nation since the monarchy was abolished in 2008.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Anne’s steadiness is especially critical in such a time as this for the monarchy.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Readers who are fascinated by the monarchy and love thoughtful stories with complicated heroines will enjoy this one.
—Gretchen Hardin, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for monarchy
Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
Whoever prevails will become Nepal’s 16th prime minister in less than two decades, underscoring the recurring political instability that has marked the Himalayan nation since the monarchy was abolished in 2008.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Anne’s steadiness is especially critical in such a time as this for the monarchy.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Readers who are fascinated by the monarchy and love thoughtful stories with complicated heroines will enjoy this one.
—Gretchen Hardin, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for monarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monarchy
Noun
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But for anyone outside the British elite, the constitutional monarchism that emerged after the civil wars did not look much like democracy or true liberty.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harper's Magazine,
20 Aug. 2024
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And the Decemberists tried to overthrow the Tsar and insist on having some of the more basic aspects of representative constitutional monarchism introduced into Russia.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2022
Noun
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Voting is the cornerstone of a democracy – the mechanism by which citizens make their voices count and one of the key things in public life that should transcend party lines.—
Kica Matos,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
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Progressive councilors have touted the greater civic engagement and deepened democracy that participatory budgeting aims to achieve.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Every uniform will contain a label featuring the article of the Italian Constitution that says Italy is a republic founded on labor.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
27 Feb. 2026
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As the Meridian Empire sets out to usurp wealthy colonies and crush the pirate republic, Cat is faced with an ultimatum – turn in the fearsome Valerian Kane, the only man she’s ever loved and the biggest threat to the Empire, or die.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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GDPs skyrocket; cities are powered by clean nuclear fusion; dictatorships fall across the world; humanity begins to colonize the stars.—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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Those under occupation, dictatorship, persecution, and those experiencing genocide.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Counsellors of State are certain royals who can be called on by the monarch to act on his behalf if the sovereign is temporarily unable to carry out official duties.—
Lauren Said-Moorhouse,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Barrows manages the future sovereign's schedule, and accompanies her to the various appointments she is called upon to attend.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Attacks on other Gulf states Qatar and Bahrain also came under attack, piercing the kingdoms’ polished image as luxurious havens in an unstable region.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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The island kingdom of Bahrain said Monday that one person was killed by shrapnel from an intercepted missile.—
BRIAN MELLEY,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Since 1995, there have been 1,813 reports of UFOs in the commonwealth.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Feb. 2026
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The commonwealth partnered with OpenAI, the company that owns ChatGPT, to ensure that government data remains protected, Snyder said.—
Logan Hall,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The findings quantify a global shift — emphasized most recently by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to China this week and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s last month — in which Beijing is courting Washington’s traditional partners, nations now hedging between the superpowers.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
24 Feb. 2026
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For the sanctions to pass, the 27-nation bloc needs to reach a unanimous decision.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Monarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monarchy. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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