autarchy

[ aw-tahr-kee ]
See synonyms for: autarchyautarchicalautarchic on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural au·tar·chies.
  1. absolute sovereignty.

  2. an autocratic government.

Origin of autarchy

1
First recorded in 1655–65, autarchy is from the Greek word autarchía self-rule. See aut-, -archy

Other words from autarchy

  • au·tar·chic, au·tar·chi·cal, adjective
  • au·tar·chi·cal·ly, adverb
  • au·tar·chist, noun

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

How to use autarchy in a sentence

  • Of the over 240 distinct territories, countries, and protectorates, very few (if any) are truly autarchic entities.

  • At a very small scale of existence, such as autarchic existence, the means were very simple, and very few.

  • It resulted in a new set of dependencies among communities that had afforded autarchic modes of existence for thousands of years.

British Dictionary definitions for autarchy (1 of 2)

autarchy1

/ (ˈɔːtɑːkɪ) /


nounplural -chies
  1. unlimited rule; autocracy

  2. self-government; self-rule

Origin of autarchy

1
C17: from Greek autarkhia, from autarkhos autocratic; see auto-, -archy

Derived forms of autarchy

  • autarchic or autarchical, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for autarchy (2 of 2)

autarchy2

/ (ˈɔːtɑːkɪ) /


nounplural -chies
  1. a variant spelling (now rare) of autarky

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