monarchy

noun

mon·​ar·​chy ˈmä-nər-kē How to pronounce monarchy (audio)
 also  -ˌnär-
plural monarchies
1
: undivided rule or absolute sovereignty by a single person
Saudi Arabia is governed by a monarchy.
2
: a nation or state having a monarchical government
Britain is a monarchy.
3
: a government having a hereditary chief of state with life tenure and powers varying from nominal to absolute
The country's hereditary monarchy survived for centuries.

Examples of monarchy in a Sentence

the French monarchy of the 18th century
Recent Examples on the Web One reason the Houthis have been so poorly understood is that their movement arose in the shadow of the Saudi monarchy. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024 This is the challenge of an age-old monarchy operating in a transformed landscape, where people expect information immediately. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 The Greek monarchy was abolished in 1973, after which the last King lived in exile in Britain. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 Good is represented by the church (there’s always been a mystical side to Dumont’s work) and evil by the monarchy, with veteran Fabrice Luchini playing a Darth Vader-like figure called Belzébuth. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2024 And, with an infant king on the throne, advisors were said to be helping themselves generously to money and land belonging to the monarchy. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 The monarchy's next large-scale event is Commonwealth Day on March 11, which is typically marked by a service at Westminster Abbey. Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024 His main focus is on his father’s health, his family and what is best for the monarchy. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024 Increasingly, the monarchy is instead seeking to legitimize its rule by presenting itself as protector of the Saudi people and promoting a strong sense of nationalism that places Saudi interests first. Bernard Haykel, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monarchy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of monarchy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near monarchy

Cite this Entry

“Monarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarchy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

monarchy

noun
mon·​ar·​chy ˈmän-ər-kē How to pronounce monarchy (audio)
plural monarchies
1
: total rule by one person
2
: a nation or country ruled by a monarch
3
: a form of government having a chief of state who inherits the position, rules for life, and holds powers varying from very limited to total
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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