Archy

¹

[ahr-chee]

noun

1. a first name, form of Archibald.

-archy

²

1. a combining form meaning “rule,” “government,” forming abstract nouns usually corresponding to personal nouns ending in -arch:

   monarchy; oligarchy.

-archy

combining form

1. government; rule

   anarchy

   monarchy

Other Word Forms

• -archic combining form
• -archist combining form

Word History and Origins

Origin of -archy¹

Middle English -archie < Latin -archia < Greek, equivalent to arch ( os ) or -arch ( ēs ) -arch + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of -archy¹

from Greek -arkhia; see _-arch

Example Sentences

Ursula Granger had given birth to a boy named Archy, who later died.

Read more on Literature

Constructed out of loose, brisk chapters with little punctuation or capitalization — the cat is plainly an alumnus of the Archy and Mehitabel school of talking-animal prose — the plot is effectively a series of trials.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A history of the most ecologically diverse and multicultural state in the country, from the “conflict, turmoil and violence” of Indigenous dispossession to the resistance of people like Archy Lee and Marilyn Greene.

Read more on New York Times

There’s a fine line between sensitivity and self-aggrandisement, one that both King Krule’s Archy Marshall and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker get on the right side of on their new albums.

Read more on The Guardian

“Don’t know exactly,” replies Archy.

Read more on The Guardian

When To Use

What does -archy mean?

The combining form -archy is used like a suffix meaning “rule” or "government." It is often used in technical terms, especially in sociology.The form -archy comes from Greek -archēs, meaning “rule, government.”What are variants of -archy?While -archy doesn't have any variants, it is related to the form -arch, as in matriarch. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for -arch.