oligarchy
English
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oligarchy
- /ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːki/ UK
- /ˈɑlɪˌɡɑɹki/ US
- /ˈoʊlɪˌɡɑɹki/ US
Where it comes from
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”).
noun oligarchies
- A government run by and for only a few, often the aristocracy, the wealthy, or their friends and associates. Despite the involvement of all classes of society, America's political duopoly and the importance of money to mass-market campaigning has established an oligarchy that is seldom responsive to the citizenry as a whole, when opposed to the wealthy or major interest groups.
- A state ruled by such a government. The 1832 Reform Act aimed to transform the British oligarchy and allow Parliament to represent the interests of a broader range of the population.
- Those who make up an oligarchic government. The modern British oligarchy—particularly during periods of Tory rule—has been called a chumocracy.
Translations
Every language
noun government by only a few
| Español | oligarquía |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 과두제 gwaduje |
| 日本語 | 寡頭政治 katō seiji, 寡頭制 katōsei |
| 中文 | 寡頭政治 /寡头政治 guǎtóu zhèngzhì |
| हिन्दी | अल्पतंत्र alpatantra, अल्पजनाधिपत्य alpajnādhipatya, ओलिगार्की oligārkī |
| Português | oligarquia |
| Français | oligarchie |
| Deutsch | Oligarchie |
| Italiano | oligarchia |
| Ελληνικά | ολιγαρχία oligarchía |
| Română | oligarhie |
| Русский | олига́рхия oligárxija |
| العربية | أُولِيغَارْكِي ʔūlīḡārkī |
| עברית | אוֹלִיגַרְכְיָה oligárkhya |
noun state ruled by such a government
| Español | oligarquía |
|---|---|
| Português | oligarquia |
| Français | oligarchie |
| Deutsch | Oligarchie |
| Italiano | oligarchia |
| Ελληνικά | ολιγαρχία oligarchía |
| Română | oligarhie |
| Русский | олига́рхия oligárxija |
noun those who make up an oligarchic government
| Español | oligarquía |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 과두 gwadu |
| 日本語 | 寡頭 katō |
| 中文 | 寡頭 /寡头 guǎtóu |
| Português | oligarquia |
| Français | oligarchie |
| Русский | олига́рхия oligárxija |
| עברית | אוֹלִיגַרְכְיָה oligárkhya |
Talk about this word "oligarchy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/oligarchy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. oligarchy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/oligarchy "oligarchy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/oligarchy.Cite this
@misc{oligarchy_2026,
title = {oligarchy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/oligarchy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
