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
Congress has abdicated its power to an oligarchy of billionaires.
—
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
Congress has abdicated its power to an oligarchy of billionaires.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy).
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Such is the suffering of the lowly expendables, but spoils of war for the oligarchy of greed and power.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
Congress has abdicated its power to an oligarchy of billionaires.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy).
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Such is the suffering of the lowly expendables, but spoils of war for the oligarchy of greed and power.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oligarchy
Noun
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Social rescue arrives in the form of outgoing cool girl Sonya (Molloy), who takes a shine to Coley after a chance encounter in a coffee shop, and invites her to join her clique.
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Under Meza, player cliques developed, stars were pampered, discipline waned.
Noun
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Build the empire on top of all of it.
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What emerges is a portrait of Maurice as both architect and enigma, a man whose creative vision built an empire and whose personal choices left fractures still being processed decades later.
Noun
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They are governed by military juntas that staged coups fueled by resentment toward old Western partners and democratic governments.
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However, its victory over Peru has since been riddled with allegations of match fixing, particularly because Argentina was ruled by a military junta that was accused of using its political influence to secure a favorable result.
Noun
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Building tension gave way to war in 1982, when Argentina, then under a brutal dictatorship, sent a military expedition to the islands.
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Public anger over Chun’s dictatorship led to massive nationwide protests in 1987, forcing him to accept a constitutional revision introducing direct presidential elections, which is widely seen as the start of South Korea’s transition to democracy.
Cite this Entry
“Oligarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oligarchy. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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