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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
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.

Related Words

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 distinction Camilla was concerned about was between the private family and the public monarchy. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 14 Sep. 2026 Their paths cross during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, and what begins as an unexpected romance develops into an impossible love that must navigate public scrutiny, royal tradition, and the expectations of the Swedish monarchy. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026 The series spans Brussels, Leopoldville, Rome and Madrid, connecting Belgium’s monarchy with Cold War geopolitics and Catholic influence. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026 Middle Eastern and North African Queen Names The Middle East and North Africa boast a rich history of powerful queens spanning ancient Egypt to modern-day monarchies. — Liz Regalia, Parents, 9 Sep. 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
  • Barber argued that unfettered capitalism and the backlash to it, which was increasingly expressed through forms of fundamentalist extremism, although in contest with each other, were both a danger to democracies.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Netanyahu then got to the heart of the lies perpetrated against the only democracy in the region.
    — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of democracy
Noun
  • The vote comes as the small republic on NATO's eastern flank contends with growing concern about potential Russian aggression.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Yogyakarta is a rare thing, a sultan’s kingdom inside of a country that is otherwise a republic.
    — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of republic
Noun
  • This is a sensitive moment for Brazil's democracy Brazil emerged from military dictatorship in 1985 and has since developed into one of the world's largest democracies.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Cseh, the archive's director, said successor governments to dictatorships rarely disclose the names of previous agents and informants, let alone records as detailed as those Hungary is preparing to release.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Against encroaching social upheavals, the sovereign was resolutely the center of a mercantilist universe.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The couple will remain non-working royals and will not be carrying out any official royal engagements on behalf of the sovereign, the document said.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of sovereign
Noun
  • Samuel, or Samuil in Bulgarian, was a warrior emperor who battled the Byzantine Empire to expand his kingdom but was ultimately defeated and died shortly afterward in 1014.
    — COSTAS KANTOURIS, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • That has left the kingdom searching for friends beyond Washington, for allies ready to put rockets where the rhetoric is and assist in a fight Saudi Arabia considers existential.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • Prosecutors for the commonwealth of Massachusetts must now decide whether to retry Clancy.
    — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The Pennsylvania State Police held an event Thursday that had only been held one other time in the commonwealth, but on the other side of the state.
    — Josh Taylor, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of commonwealth
Noun
  • And among governments, are not the principles of the Declaration the best means for establishing a nation that is both free and just?
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The competitors in the first space race were nations jockeying for scientific dominance.
    — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of nation

Browse Nearby Words

monarchs
monarchy
monasteries
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Monarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monarchy. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on monarchy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monarchy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All