monarchy

noun

Definition of monarchynext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of monarchy When Meghan married into the British monarchy, so did her mother. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 15 July 2026 It’s celebrated on July 14 because that’s the day Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress and prison in 1789, helping spark the French Revolution that overthrew the monarchy and sent King Louis XVI and his queen Marie-Antoinette to the guillotine. — ABC News, 14 July 2026 Japan’s monarchy has for centuries maintained male-only succession, which is on-brand for a deeply patriarchal society where men dominate other spheres of life such as business and politics. — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 It’s celebrated on July 14 because that’s the day Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress and prison in 1789, helping spark the French Revolution that overthrew the monarchy and sent King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette, to the guillotine. — Eva Van Dam, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for monarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monarchy
  1. monarchism
  2. democracy
  3. republic
  4. dictatorship
  5. sovereign
  6. kingdom
  7. commonwealth
  8. nation
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of monarchism
Noun
  • Direct democracy in Missouri Over in Missouri, voters are seeing an entirely different Republican message on democracy.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • To some lawmakers and analysts, the episode demonstrated that democracy and accountability are alive in Ukraine despite martial law and the suspension of elections.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Definition of democracy
Noun
  • Like our democratic republic itself, these efforts are decentralized — local, pragmatic, and responsive to what communities actually need.
    — Brendan Bechtel, Fortune, 25 July 2026
  • Early diplomatic ties India gained independence from Britain in 1947 and became a republic in 1950.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 July 2026
Definition of republic
Noun
  • Ortega spoke Sunday at the anniversary of the Sandinista revolution that toppled the Somoza dictatorship in 1979 and first brought him to power.
    — Anna-Catherine Brigida, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • The 1978 World Cup edition was played in and won by an Argentina ruled by a military dictatorship that forcibly disappeared thousands of people.
    — Minky Worden, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Military service has long been at the heart of Britain's royal family, with the sovereign serving as the ceremonial head of the Armed Forces.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 22 July 2026
  • The centuries-old ceremony sees the sovereign symbolically accept the keys to the city of Edinburgh and immediately return them for safekeeping.
    — Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of sovereign
Noun
  • Saudi Arabia's civil defense said alerts sounded multiple times early Saturday in both cities, but the kingdom didn't comment further.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on Monday, threatening to cut off the kingdom’s oil exports through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
    — Chloe Taylor,Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 24 July 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • Ahead of the trial, the commonwealth also filed a motion to admit audio recordings of the 911 call Patrick Clancy made after returning home and discovering his family.
    — Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • But Spanberger remains determined in her mission to deliver a more affordable commonwealth to Virginians, touting her signing of the Affordable Virginia Agenda into law in a Friday statement.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 17 July 2026
Definition of commonwealth
Noun
  • On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced more than 100 people with criminal backgrounds had been returned to the Caribbean nation on July 16 aboard a deportation flight.
    — David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 25 July 2026
  • The alliance’s political headquarters is in Brussels, where ambassadors from member nations meet to discuss defense spending, drone incursions and cyber threats.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of nation

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monarchs
monarchy
monasteries
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Cite this Entry

“Monarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monarchy. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on monarchy

Nglish: Translation of monarchy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monarchy

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