monarchy

American  

[mon-er-kee] / ˈmɒn ər ki /

noun

plural

monarchies

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

Example Sentences

The 65-year-old son of Iran's last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled the US-backed monarchy and ushered in the current system of clerical rule.

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

The Lord Great Chamberlain controls the parts of the Palace of Westminster reserved for the monarchy and manages the royal family's interests in Parliament.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

“I didn’t know you could laugh at the monarchy, at religion, at the army, at the war,” Idle said, adding that he immediately purchased the sketch group’s record and learned all their bits.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

The German Empire, which had only existed for 17 years when Wilhelm took the throne in 1888, was a half-baked constitutional monarchy.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Because Burke had defended the British monarchy, Dad would have said he was an agent of tyranny.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

• sovereignty
• throne