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.

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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

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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.)

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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.

Related Words

See kingdom.

Other Word Forms

• antimonarchy
  adjective
• promonarchy
  adjective

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

While N.Y. punk was inspired by Beat writers and intellectuals, its British counterpart was more sociopolitical, aggressive and nihilistic, addressing concerns about the government, the monarchy and unemployment.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

A YouGov opinion poll last month found 64% supported the monarchy, but only 53% thought the Royal Family represented good value for money.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

The Gulf monarchy had likely wanted to keep the meeting quiet and continued with quieter and unpublicized coordination, analysts said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

A parliamentary official known as Black Rod will have the door of the lower chamber House of Commons slammed in their face, a tradition that symbolises parliament's independence from the monarchy.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

It depicts the American Revolutionas a liberation movement, a clean break not just from English domination but also from the historic corruptions of European monarchy and aristocracy.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• sovereignty
• throne