1
as in cliques
a small group of people who exercise control over a country, business, etc.
Critics complain that the government is now dominated by an oligarchy of wealthy businesspeople.
Related Words
Relevance
2
as in empires
government that is controlled by a small group of people
The nation was an oligarchy with election results manipulated to maintain a permanent ruling class.
Related Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oligarchies
Noun
-
These internal cliques, or deputy gangs, which have been tied to specific LASD precincts, have names like the Banditos, the Grim Reapers, and the Regulators.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025 -
At the Dallas Street property, small cliques of armed men, mostly Venezuelans and Mexicans, fought an ongoing turf war.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Regents or viceroys hearken back to royalty and empires, and that’s not the look Trump is going for here—at least for now.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
-
At stake is the future of one of the most storied media empires in the United States.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In at least three Sahel states — Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso — military juntas that came to power in coups, notably Niger and Mali, have expelled Western military forces.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Kuti was an outspoken critic of Nigeria’s military juntas in the 1970s.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Several countries that once abolished their monarchies—including Spain, Cambodia, and Britain (under Oliver Cromwell)—later restored them as constitutional monarchies.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
-
First, that monarchies are inherently corrupt.—
Dan Snyder,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Oligarchies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oligarchies. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
