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Oligarchy: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Oligarchy noun. Rule by a small group of powerful people, or a country governed that way.
How to say it
OL-ih-gar-kee/ˈɒlɪɡɑːki/
4 syllables, stressed on the first (OL). Forms: oligarchies, oligarch, oligarchs.
Oligarchy in a sentence
On paper it was a republic; in practice it was an oligarchy of three shipping families.
The tennis club had become an oligarchy, with the same five members on every committee.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- elite rule
- junta
- cabal
Opposite:
- democracy
Where oligarchy comes from
From Greek oligarkhia, from oligoi, few, and arkhein, to rule.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The tennis club had become an _____, with the same five members on every committee.
- oligarchy
- hegemony
- ideology
Show the answer
oligarchy: The tennis club had become an oligarchy, with the same five members on every committee.