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

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

After shares rallied to a peak of $225 on June 16, a stunning 50 percent rise over their opening price, Musk officially became the world’s very-first trillionaire — an obscene hyper-capitalist milestone highlighting the tech oligarchy’s iron grip on society. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 24 June 2026

Breaking the hold of tech and financial oligarchies, including a ban on algorithmic wage-setting, ensures that AI does not become a tool for gutting the middle class. — Sarita Gupta, Time, 2 June 2026