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 Prince William is entirely focused on his family and the long-term survival of the monarchy, but that's not to say that things can't change in the future. — Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 In contrast to other Gulf monarchies, especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar sees no threat in the Muslim Brotherhood, the political movement that spawned Hamas. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026 But Peter O’Toole plays your adviser and has these wonderful speeches about the importance of the monarchy and the spirit of the country. — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 The Middle East has already experimented with Arab nationalism, state socialism, secular authoritarianism, monarchy, military rule, and political Islam. — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 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
  • Across the country, more and more fans are identifying with Casey’s overwhelming frustration with the current state of our democracy.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026
  • By themselves, data centers don’t rank as a top-tier national campaign issue, according to voters—in a recent Pew Research Center survey, the economy, the future of democracy, health care, education, and immigration made up the top five.
    — Naomi Nix, Time, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of democracy
Noun
  • Locked in a war of attrition with the United States, the Islamic republic has clear objectives.
    — Reuel Marc Gerecht, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Preserving our constitutional republic from radical Islam means accepting the costs that come with it—name-calling, threats, and worse.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of republic
Noun
  • His raspy voice, his beard, his missing finger and the cadence of his speech have been fixtures of Brazilian public life since Brazil’s first direct presidential election after the dictatorship ended in 1985.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
  • This strategy is unlikely to work on liberal Israelis, who view this election as the last chance to save their homeland from sliding into dictatorship.
    — Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Unlike the British throne, in fact, the leadership of the Commonwealth is not automatically passed from a sovereign to their heir.
    — Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Crown Estate is an independent company established by Parliament to manage a vast portfolio of properties throughout the United Kingdom that is nominally owned by the sovereign during his lifetime but is operated for the benefit of taxpayers.
    — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sovereign
Noun
  • The result could spur a global scramble to pump more oil as quickly as possible, leaving the kingdom fighting to win back market share when the conflict ends amid a glut and lower prices.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Undoubtedly, the biggest blow was the announcement that the kingdom is postponing its flagship investment conference, the Future Investment Initiative, until next year, although no exact date has been set.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • That’s what the Democratic candidate did in her successful race for commonwealth attorney in Arlington, Virginia.
    — Ronald Wright, The Conversation, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Northern Mariana Islands opted to become a self-governing commonwealth in association with the United States.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of commonwealth
Noun
  • Deployments from contributing nations have lagged and costs have risen.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The event reinforces our commitment to building a strong, collaborative supply chain that delivers economic growth, innovation and long-term maritime capability in both nations.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of nation

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Cite this Entry

“Monarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monarchy. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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