Synonyms of oligarchy

oligarchy

noun

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.

Related Words

• clique
• junta
• network
• syndicate
• coterie
• team
• mob
• clan
• crowd
• Mafia
• club
• cabal
• conspiracy
• circle
• coven
• gang
• set
• galère
• bunch
• crew
• pack
• lot
• ring

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.

Related Words

• empire
• dictatorship
• monarchy
• triumvirate
• sovereign
• republic
• theocracy
• nation-state
• monocracy
• kingdom
• city-state
• dyarchy
• domain
• dominion
• principality
• duumvirate
• triarchy
• dependency
• duchy
• realm
• ministate
• colony
• settlement
• sultanate
• microstate
• province
• mandate
• dukedom
• emirate
• soil
• superpower
• fatherland
• trust territory
• homeland
• condominium
• client state
• seigniory
• sea power
• great power
• world power
• motherland
• state
• commonwealth
• nation
• power
• welfare state
• country
• sovereignty
• land

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of oligarchy

Of course, as scholars like Winters wrote, this kind of oligarchy-hiding-in-plain-sight was part of the package of modern oligarchy—a kind of conscious cloaking that helped these figures rise in the first place, without any kind of public pushback. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

The Provisional Government has not assumed a republican or other constitutional form, but has remained a mere executive council or oligarchy, set up without the assent of the people. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026

Last year, Katz filmed a video of his new protégé shucking oysters, chopping wood, swinging kettlebells, and speaking directly to the camera in a muddy sweatshirt about how the oligarchy had screwed their beloved state. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

But these days, at one of Ukraine’s most prestigious universities, the likes of Pushkin, Chekhov, and Dostoyevsky have given way to such topics as Russian disinformation and propaganda, how its foreign intelligence operates, and understanding Russia’s elites and oligarchy. — Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 27 June 2026