oligarchy

CEFRB2

/ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːki/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A government controlled by a small group of powerful people.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A state ruled by such a government.

Examples

  • No one is actually experiencing reality thanks to the oligarchy of billionaires.

  • The stench of censorship will spell the end of the oligarchy.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3

Also pronounced

  • /ˈoʊlɪˌɡɑɹki/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Those who make up an oligarchic government.

  2. A government run by and for only a few, often the aristocracy, the wealthy, or their friends and associates.

More examples

In context

  • The 1832 Reform Act aimed to transform the British oligarchy and allow Parliament to represent the interests of a broader range of the population.

  • The modern British oligarchy—particularly during periods of Tory rule—has been called a chumocracy.

  • 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 inte...

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Nearby

Origin

noun

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”).