heptarchy
Americannoun
plural
heptarchies-
(often initial capital letter) the seven principal concurrent Anglo-Saxon kingdoms supposed to have existed in the 7th and 8th centuries.
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government by seven persons.
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an allied group of seven states or kingdoms, each under its own ruler.
noun
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government by seven rulers
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a state divided into seven regions each under its own ruler
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the seven kingdoms into which Anglo-Saxon England is thought to have been divided from about the 7th to the 9th centuries ad : Kent, East Anglia, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, Mercia, and Northumbria
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the period when this grouping existed
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of heptarchy
First recorded in 1570–80; hept- ( def. ) + -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 outcome of the heptarchy was the Earls or Ealdermen; this was the only order of nobility among the Saxons; they corresponded to the position of lieutenants of counties, and were appointed for life.
From Landholding in England by Fisher, Joseph, the younger, of Youghal
But, as in the Saxon times this country was an heptarchy, it is now a strange sort of PENTARCHY.
From Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke by Burke, Edmund
While the heptarchy lasted, these offices were only during the king's pleasure; at last they became during life.
From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 13, No. 357, February 21, 1829 by Various
Let any man try in this country to restore the heptarchy, do you think that any portion of the people would think that the project could be tolerated for a moment?
From Speeches on Questions of Public Policy, Volume 1 by Bright, John
It is true, we can derive from no quarter a favourable opinion of the state of England after the Saxon invasion, and during the tumultuous and bloody government of the heptarchy.
From The Grammar of English Grammars by Brown, Goold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
