Oligarchy Meaning
/ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːki/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA government run by and for only a few, often the aristocracy, the wealthy, or their friends and associates.
nounA state ruled by such a government.
Sentence Examples
The stench of censorship will spell the end of the oligarchy.
No one is actually experiencing reality thanks to the oligarchy of billionaires.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The small country was an ____ where a few wealthy families controlled the government.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The country was effectively ruled by an ____ of wealthy families who controlled all major industries.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"It's an oligarchy because these families own and run almost everything that makes money in El Salvador. Coffee gave birth to the oligarchy in the late 19th century, and economic growth has revolved around them ever since."
— 1981 September 6, “The Eclipse of the Oligarchs”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 09 Mar 2022:
"The Itasca Project is just one example of existing oligarchy, and a surprisingly open one at that."
— 2016 January 17, Malcolm Harris, “Wealthy cabals run America”, in Al Jazeera America, archived from the original on 23 Aug 2017, retrieved 18 Jan 2016:
"Together, we will usher in a generation of change. And if we embrace this brave new course, rather than fleeing from it, we can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves."
— 2025 November 5, Zohran Mamdani, “The Full Transcript of Zohran Mamdani’s Victory Speech”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Nov 2025:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The small country was an ____ where a few wealthy families controlled the government.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The country was effectively ruled by an ____ of wealthy families who controlled all major industries.