1
as in clique
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.
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2
as in empire
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.
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Recent Examples of oligarchy
There is no ethical consumption under tech oligarchy, etc.
—
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Sanders has consistently called out the Trump administration, accusing it of being an oligarchy and has drawn big crowds, even in Republican strongholds.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Barnstorming against oligarchy helped Ocasio-Cortez raise $9.6 million in the first quarter of the year, rekindling speculation about her viability as a candidate for higher office.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 19 May 2025
But can a billionaire—especially one born into wealth—really be the champion of a party that's spent the last decade railing against economic oligarchy?
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Sanders has consistently called out the Trump administration, accusing it of being an oligarchy and has drawn big crowds, even in Republican strongholds.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Barnstorming against oligarchy helped Ocasio-Cortez raise $9.6 million in the first quarter of the year, rekindling speculation about her viability as a candidate for higher office.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 19 May 2025
But can a billionaire—especially one born into wealth—really be the champion of a party that's spent the last decade railing against economic oligarchy?
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oligarchy
Noun
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So, a graph is perfect if its chromatic number equals to the largest size of a clique in it.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 June 2025
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But Iran is not governed by a single man or clique that can be decapitated.—
Narges Bajoghli,
Time,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Now, with Hong Kong’s equity markets rebounding, Li is seizing a more favorable window to raise capital for the crown jewel of his business empire.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
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High school projects could turn into Harvard case studies, teenage blogs into book deals, and college experiments into empire foundations.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
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In 1976, a new military junta ousted the government, and soon the nightmare so many had dreaded was a reality.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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However, following Myanmar’s violent military coup in 2021, the military junta has struggled to maintain control of the territory amid opposition from the public and armed groups.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
24 June 2025
Noun
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But just as important to the Poles living under Soviet dictatorship were art books, fashion magazines, religious texts, lighthearted novels and regular newspapers.—
Valorie Castellanos Clark,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
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Nearly 50 years into an unwanted dictatorship, Iranians have developed a refined capacity for identifying bad faith.—
Shervin Malekzadeh,
Mercury News,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oligarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oligarchy. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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