diarchy

American

[dahy-ahr-kee] / ˈdaɪ ɑr ki /

Or dyarchy

noun

plural

diarchies

government in which power is vested in two rulers or authorities.

diarchy British

/ ˈdaɪɑːkɪ /

noun

government by two states, individuals, etc

"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

Other Word Forms

diarchial adjective
diarchic adjective

Etymology

Origin of diarchy

First recorded in 1825–35; di- ¹ + -archy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The positions are known as a "diarchy" which means they are equal and govern together.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2020

If Neymar’s going to claim his place as the sport’s biggest star, or even turn the current diarchy into a triumvirate, he can’t wait for Messi or Ronaldo to bow out.

From Slate • Aug. 4, 2017

Pretty soon, we will have new elections and the current diarchy will be replaced by a new dispensation.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2012

Significantly, he was greeted by only half of Russia's new diarchy, an equally sour-faced Premier Aleksei Kosygin.

From Time Magazine Archive

To express this extraordinary system of government, it has sometimes been said that Sparta, though governed by kings, was not a monarchy, but a diarchy.

From Pyrrhus Makers of History by Abbott, Jacob

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023