oligarchy

[ ol-i-gahr-kee ]

noun

, plural ol·i·gar·chies.

1. a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.
2. a state or organization so ruled.
3. the persons or class so ruling.

oligarchy

/ ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːkɪ /

noun

1. government by a small group of people
2. a state or organization so governed
3. a small body of individuals ruling such a state
4. a small clique of private citizens who exert a strong influence on government

oligarchy

1. A system of government in which power is held by a small group.

Derived Forms

• ˌoliˈgarchically, adverb
• ˌoliˈgarchic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oligarchy¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin oligarchia, from Greek oligarchía. See olig-, -archy

Word History and Origins

Origin of oligarchy¹

C16: via Medieval Latin from Greek oligarkhia, from olígos few + -archy

Example Sentences

Paid social media’s oligarchy, made up of Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, may soon have to share the crown as competing social media platforms are getting a second look from advertisers.

From Digiday

World history teaches that oligarchies are almost impossible to unwind except by war or violent revolution.

From Time

As for immigration, the idea that those who want to tackle these problems are doing the bidding of a “corporate oligarchy” seeking cheap labor is not working-class straight talk, it’s insulting nonsense.

From Washington Post

The central theme of your new book is that the American system presently finds itself in a conflict between “democracy versus oligarchy.”

From Fortune

Whatever it takes, we need to find a way to get voters excited about cleaning up political spending before we go full oligarchy.

From The Daily Beast

In the early 20th century, many progressives and populists, as well as a growing socialist movement, rose to oppose oligarchy.

From The Daily Beast

Instead we have witnessed the emergence of the Age of Oligarchy.

From The Daily Beast

Russia and Ukraine under Yanukovych shared a single form of government – rule by a criminal oligarchy.

From The Daily Beast

“Some say America is an oligarchy for the multinationals,” he said.

From The Daily Beast

The oligarchy was saved, but the struggle between rich and poor was by no means over.

From Project Gutenberg

It was an oligarchy of a few powerful whig noblemen, whose rule was supreme in England.

From Project Gutenberg

He limited the freedom of the citizens, and turned the old democratic constitution into an oligarchy.

From Project Gutenberg

In truth he had no popular sympathies, and leaned towards an aristocracy which was little short of an oligarchy.

From Project Gutenberg

The views he put forward were simply these: Ireland can no longer be governed by an oligarchy, however powerful.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• authoritarianism
• autocracy
• coercion
• cruelty
• despotism
• domination
• oppression
• terrorism
• totalitarianism

More About Oligarchy

What does oligarchy mean?

Oligarchy is a term for a government in which power is held by a select few individuals or a small class of powerful people.

This can mean that these few people are the actual leaders, or that they influence or control the decisions that the leaders make (that they’re the ones “pulling the strings” behind the scenes).

Oligarchy is never used as an official term for a form of government (like monarchy is, for example)—it’s almost always applied as a criticism of such situations. It is frequently used as a way of pointing out the influence of the wealthy and powerful in politics and government—an influence that’s typically used to benefit themselves.

A country that is thought to have an oligarchic government can also be referred to as an oligarchy, as in Many outsiders view the nation as an oppressive oligarchy.  

Oligarchy can also refer to the class of people who have the power in this kind of system, as in The country was run by an oligarchy consisting of a few powerful industrialists.

One of the select few who rules or influences leaders in an oligarchy can be called an oligarch.

The word oligarch is especially associated with and applied to Russian figures  known for their wealth and political influence. These figures are frequently called Russian oligarchs and are sometimes referred to collectively as the Russian oligarchy. 

Example: The members of just three families have run the country as an oligarchy for decades, serving only their own interests.

Why is oligarchy trending?

Searches for oligarch and oligarchy on Dictionary.com increased in early 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the early days of the invasion, the European Union, the U.S., and other countries implemented sanctions against Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russian financial institutions, as well as wealthy Russian business figures with ties to Putin and the Russian government. These individuals were frequently referred to in media reports as oligarchs (and sometimes collectively as members of the Russian oligarchy).

Where does oligarchy come from?

The first records of the word oligarchy come from the 1570s. It comes from the Greek oligarchía and is formed from oligo-, meaning “few,” and -archy, meaning  “rule” (the same ending is used in words like monarchy and anarchy).

The word oligarchy does not imply a specific political doctrine or philosophy. Instead, it’s based on the fact that only a few powerful people control things. In this sense, oligarchy can be thought of as the opposite of democracy—at least based on the roots of each word. While oligarchy is the “rule of the few,” democracy is thought of as the “rule of the many”—demo– means “people” and –cracy means “rule.” (A dictatorship is the “rule of the one.”)

People considered oligarchs are often thought to be part of a small group of powerful, elite people whose power comes through wealth, connections, or some other status that makes them highly influential. Though there are few of them, the ruling or influential members of an oligarchy may not always act in agreement and may even oppose each other. However, the fact that they are among the few who have real power makes them members of an oligarchy. Referring to a government, country, or system as an oligarchy usually implies that such a system involves corruption and oppression—no matter what the official form of government is or what the specific politics of its leaders are.

Oligarchy is often used alongside other critical terms for forms of government thought to be corrupt or unjust, such as plutocracy (a government ruled by or influenced by the wealthy) and autocracy (a government in which one person has unlimited power).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to oligarchy?

• oligarch (noun)
• oligarchic (adjective)
• oligarchical (adjective)
• oligarchically (adverb)

What are some words that share a root or word element with oligarchy? 

• oligopoly
• monarchy
• anarchy
• hierarchy

What are some words that often get used in discussing oligarchy?

• few
• wealthy
• elite
• powerful
• rule
• business
• industry
• corruption

How is oligarchy used in real life?

Oligarchy is almost always used in a critical way. It usually implies that rule by only a few always results in corruption and oppression.

Toscano: Iran is an oligarchy, more centers of power to remove. Egypt had 1 dictator, 1 focus.

— Joanne Stocker جوآن (@joanne_stocker) March 25, 2011

See, it's totally okay for China's oligarchy to use Instagram, enjoy things like sending their children to study in more open societies…

— Melissa Chan (@melissakchan) September 30, 2014

Useless and embarrassing political gerontocracy. Rapid slide towards economic oligarchy. It's hard to tell if the United States is at Russia 1982, or we're already at 1992

— Vincent Bevins (@Vinncent) September 30, 2020

 

 

Try using oligarchy!

Which of the following people are most likely to hold power in a government considered an oligarchy?

A. a queen
B. an elected prime minister
C. a dozen wealthy businesspeople
D. a parliament elected by the people