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 The monarchy was overthrown in the February Revolution of 1917, and the tsar and his family became prisoners of the revolutionaries. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026 The Declaration of Independence was about severing the chains of a British monarchy and creating a government powered by the people with checks and balances. — Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 William and Kate Three hundred million people looked on as Britain's future king and queen wed on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, defining a new era for the monarchy. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 3 July 2026 For the next millennium and a half, claims about equality proved remarkably consistent with sexism and slavery, as well as monarchy and universal empire. — Teresa M. Bejan, The Atlantic, 3 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
  • So, democracy sometimes resembles kakistocracy, an actual word that means government by the least qualified.
    — George F. Will, Washington Post, 17 July 2026
  • As a result, another vital concern - Venezuela's return to democracy - has been put on hold.
    — John Otis, NPR, 16 July 2026
Definition of democracy
Noun
  • Purges of the state bureaucracy and judiciary followed, while Erdogan whittled away at the Turkish republic’s secular foundations with his brand of religious nationalism.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
  • Of course, the new republic was not always a haven for sober analysis.
    — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of republic
Noun
  • 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
  • They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina’s then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain.
    — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • 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
  • This has seen both sovereigns and corporates raising billions of dollars in conventional bonds and sukuk over recent months.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 30 June 2026
Definition of sovereign
Noun
  • Corey Hawkins as Polybus Polybus is another one of Penelope’s many suitors who scheme to take her hand and kingdoms for themselves.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • Iran launched attacks on Saudi Arabia for the first time in about three months, according to two people familiar with the matter, triggering early warning alarms in Al-Kharj, east of the capital Riyadh, and at Yanbu on the kingdom's Red Sea coast.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 18 July 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • Her campaign has centered on supporting farmers, expanding Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry, and portraying Shapiro as a career politician more focused on a future White House bid than on leading the commonwealth.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2026
  • Virginia’s overall power grid is strained, due in part to the commonwealth’s embrace of data centers.
    — Scott Cohn, CNBC, 9 July 2026
Definition of commonwealth
Noun
  • Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies, alongside international law enforcement partners and host nation authorities, are all contributing to the security architecture for this tournament.
    — Adam Leventhal, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • Iran attacked a power generation and water desalination plant in Kuwait, the Gulf nation said on Saturday.
    — Monica Haider, CNN Money, 18 July 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 20 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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