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

“If we don’t stop them there, they could end up here,” Archy argues.

From The Guardian • Jan. 10, 2020

“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

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

That’s how that record store is for Nat and Archy, and I definitely, at some point, cottoned on to that aspect of it.

From Salon • Sep. 20, 2012

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

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