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
The goal is not to rehabilitate Russia’s weakening oligarchy but to fracture the elite networks that still play a significant role in sustaining Putin’s rule.
—
Veronica Anghel, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2025
Trade one oligarchy for another, and the 1940s Republic of Saló looks mighty familiar.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
In recent years, aided by his son, Sam (CEO of Dropout), the 79-year-old has developed an impressive social media following, warning of the perils of an unfettered oligarchy and rampant inequality.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2025
The third speaker, Darius, sees democracy and oligarchy as equally flawed.
—Debbie Felton, The Conversation, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Veronica Anghel, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2025
Trade one oligarchy for another, and the 1940s Republic of Saló looks mighty familiar.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
In recent years, aided by his son, Sam (CEO of Dropout), the 79-year-old has developed an impressive social media following, warning of the perils of an unfettered oligarchy and rampant inequality.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2025
The third speaker, Darius, sees democracy and oligarchy as equally flawed.
—Debbie Felton, The Conversation, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oligarchy
Noun
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The founders leveraged their Instagram followings and those of their clique of friends, which translated into high visibility, buzz and attention from buyers.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
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One of the Club's favorite AI plays, Broadcom is already in the trillion-dollar market cap clique and it's got custom chip orders from everyone.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Owing in large part to Sabine, the British government financed the construction of magnetic observatories around the empire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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After more than two decades of working in the food space—reviving her family’s snack empire, and building her own chip brand from scratch—Dawes was ready to move on from starch.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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Delhi has been consistently prioritizing cold interests over all else—engaging with the junta in Myanmar, refraining from openly criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, engaging both Iran and Israel, and getting closer toward recognizing the Taliban as Afghanistan’s official government.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Written and directed by Pérez Rial, the film reconstructs the exile of Sosa, who was arrested during a 1978 concert in La Plata and later forced to flee Argentina’s dictatorship.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
20 Oct. 2025
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Caesar's Legion is a straight-up totalitarian dictatorship of LARPers playing Romans.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oligarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oligarchy. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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