Archy

¹ American  

[ahr-chee] / ˈɑr tʃi /

noun

1. a first name, form of Archibald.

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-archy ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “rule,” “government,” forming abstract nouns usually corresponding to personal nouns ending in -arch:

   monarchy; oligarchy.

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-archy British  

combining form

1. government; rule

   anarchy

   monarchy

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Usage

What does -archy mean? The combining form -archy is used like a suffix meaning “rule” or "government." It is often used in technical terms, especially in sociology.The form -archy comes from Greek -archēs, meaning “rule, government.”What are variants of -archy?While -archy doesn't have any variants, it is related to the form -arch, as in matriarch. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for -arch.

Other Word Forms

• -archic combining form
• -archist combining form

Etymology

Origin of -archy

Middle English -archie < Latin -archia < Greek, equivalent to arch ( os ) or -arch ( ēs ) -arch + -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

“How long did it take to realize something so obvious, so easy to predict, so blindingly stupid?” asked Archy Dosburg.

From Fox News • Apr. 26, 2019

Archy Marshall makes music that’s often described as punk jazz — but you’d be forgiven for not having any idea what that means.

From New York Times • May 3, 2018

Few contemporary artists sound as much like themselves as Archy Marshall, who seems to have bagsied a whole set of sadly chiming chords to go with his jarring baritone.

From The Guardian • Dec. 5, 2017

Who could have imagined King Krule, the snarling London art-punk project from singer Archy Marshall, sharing a stage with Los Tigres del Norte within a few hours of each other?

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2017

Ursula Granger had given birth to a boy named Archy, who later died.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis