monarchy

[mon-er-kee]

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.

monarchy

/ 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

monarchy

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.)

Other Word Forms

• antimonarchy adjective
• promonarchy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of monarchy¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English monarchie, from Late Latin monarchia, from Greek monarchía. See monarch, -y ³

Synonym Study

See kingdom.

Example Sentences

The Disney franchise exists as a fantasy version of European monarchies, and the only one of those that truly matters to Westerners is Britain’s.

From Salon

The president has frequently admired the investment funds directed by other nations, such as China and monarchies in the Gulf, as an effective means of generating government revenue.

From BBC

A Bangkok court has acquitted controversial billionaire and former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was accused of insulting the monarchy.

From BBC

"This isn't good for the monarchy," he says, even though "King Charles and Prince William have sought to limit the reputational damage Andrew can have on 'brand Windsor'," says Owens.

From BBC

He claims to be in possession of secret documents that would incriminate Thaksin – documents he claims could even prove that he insulted the monarchy, an offence which comes with a hefty prison sentence in Thailand.

From BBC

Related Words

• sovereignty 
• throne 

When To Use

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.