oligarchy
UK /ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːki/ · US /ˈɑlɪˌɡɑɹki/ noun
Forms oligarchies
- noun A government run by and for only a few, often the aristocracy, the wealthy, or their friends and associates.
- noun 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.”
- noun Those who make up an oligarchic government. “The modern British oligarchy—particularly during periods of Tory rule—has been called a chumocracy.”
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”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A form of government in which the supreme power is placed in the hands of a few persons; also, those who form the ruling few. All oligarchies, wherein a few men domineer, do what they list.
Etymology [Gr. oligarchie.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “oligarchy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details