Trivia Time

Which country is a constitutional monarchy?

Test Your Knowledge

monarchy

American  

[mon-er-kee] / ˈmɒn ər ki /

noun

• monarchies
  plural

1. 

   a state or nation in which the supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch.

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

---

monarchy British  

/ ˈmɒnəkɪ /

noun

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

---

monarchy Cultural  

1. 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.)

---

Usage

What is a monarchy? A monarchy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held by one person, either officially or ceremonially. In a monarchy, one person rules the government, and no human is above them in power. The ruler of a monarchy is called a monarch, and their position is nearly always hereditary, meaning that a member of their family will inherit their position when they die or willingly give up their power (known as abdicitation). Throughout history, monarchies have been a relatively common form of government. The ancient Egyptian pharaohs, the Roman and Chinese emperors, and the large number of European kings and queens ruled over monarchies. There are two major types of monarchies:

• In an absolute monarchy, the supreme ruler has total, unlimited power. Nobody can tell them what to do, and they can order their people to do anything they want. This form of monarchy was more common in the past than it is today. Some examples of modern countries with this form of monarchy are Swaziland and Saudi Arabia.
• In a limited monarchy or constitutional monarchy, the supreme ruler has limits on what they are actually able to do. Usually, their power is determined by a written constitution or a governing body that can restrain the actions they want to do. Of the monarchies that still exist today, most of them are limited monarchies, including those found in the United Kingdom and Norway.

Synonym Usage

See kingdom.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antimonarchy
  adjective
• promonarchy
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• monarchies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of monarchy

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English monarchie, from Late Latin monarchia, from Greek monarchía. See monarch, -y ³

Compare meaning

How does monarchy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• oligarchy vs. monarchy
• autocracy vs. monarchy

Explanation

A monarchy is a country that is ruled by a monarch, and monarchy is this system or form of government. A monarch, such as a king or queen, rules a kingdom or empire. In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch's power is limited by a constitution. But in an absolute monarchy, the monarch has unlimited power. Monarchy is an old form of government, and the word has been around a long time. It derives from Greek monarkhiā, from monarkhos, "monarch."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

monarchy monarchies

This allowance for Mountbatten-Windsor is not from the Sovereign Grant, which is the £138m in public funding for the monarchy.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Pettigrew - from King's College London - said there were all sorts of connections between the monarchy and slavery, not just this "brutal imprint".

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

This is a rare chance to encounter one of the world’s masterpieces, contemplate the origins of the modern monarchy, and learn about medieval life firsthand from a work once more on its home soil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Albania gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912 and became a monarchy.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

It had been entertaining and fascinating to find here on Gethen governments so similar to those in the ancient histories of Terra: a monarchy, and a genuine full-blown bureaucracy.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

All but one of the 13 countries that did so are hereditary monarchies.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

He believes blockchain can be used to bring this world about and that the result would be "corporate monarchies" ruled over by "CEO-kings".

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

In the case of Hormuz, the arrangement would combine the marine forces of Persian Gulf monarchies with those of Iran, the officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Gulf monarchies, which have bought American for decades, are looking at Kyiv as the partner for drone warfare.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Beginning with Pope Urban II, the church leadership and the European monarchies sought to bring Christianity as far East as possible and to take over Muslim-controlled trade routes in the process.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• sovereignty
• throne