monarchy

[ mon-er-kee ]
See synonyms for monarchy on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural mon·ar·chies.
  1. a state or nation in which the supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch.: Compare absolute monarchy, limited monarchy.

  2. supreme power or sovereignty held by a single person.

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Origin of monarchy

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English monarchie, from Late Latin monarchia, from Greek monarchía. See monarch, -y3

synonym study For monarchy

1. See kingdom.

Other words from monarchy

  • an·ti·mon·ar·chy, adjective
  • pro·mon·ar·chy, adjective

Words Nearby monarchy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use monarchy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for monarchy

monarchy

/ (ˈmɒnəkɪ) /


nounplural -chies
  1. a form of government in which supreme authority is vested in a single and usually hereditary figure, such as a king, and whose powers can vary from those of an absolute despot to those of a figurehead

  2. a country reigned over by a king, prince, or other monarch

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for monarchy

monarchy

[ (mon-uhr-kee, mon-ahr-kee) ]


A system of government in which one person reigns, usually a king or queen. The authority, or crown, in a monarchy is generally inherited. The ruler, or monarch, is often only the head of state, not the head of government. Many monarchies, such as Britain and Denmark, are actually governed by parliaments. (See absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.