oligarchy
Meanings
noun
- A government run by and for only a few, often the aristocracy, the wealthy, or their friends and associates.
- A state ruled by such a government.
- Those who make up an oligarchic government.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Borrowed from French oligarchie, from Late Latin oligarchia, from Ancient Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía), from ὀλίγος (olígos, “few”) + ἀρχή (arkhḗ, “rule”). By surface analysis, oligo- (“few”) + -archy (“rule, command”).
Related words
Derived words
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