oligarch

[ol-i-gahrk]

noun

1. one of the rulers in an oligarchy.

oligarch

/ ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːk /

noun

1. a member of an oligarchy

Word History and Origins

Origin of oligarch¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Greek oligárchēs; olig-, + -arch ( def. )

Example Sentences

The Earth’s elite — not just the athletes, but the royals, oligarchs and uber-wealthy families coming to watch them — won’t be here for three summers.

From Los Angeles Times

This country should be a nation of laws — not of special interests, oligarchs or kings.

From Salon

The Russian oligarch billionaire lifestyle can be yours for the potentially low, low price of tens of millions of dollars, courtesy of the U.S. federal government.

From Los Angeles Times

I think an oligarch class is going to deliver us a combination of both, where the AI will not only create reliance on it but give us bad, counterfactual information about important issues.

From Los Angeles Times

Another speaker at that same rally said she didn’t want Venice remembered as a beautiful wedding venue but “as the city that did not bend to oligarchs.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• authoritarian 
• autocrat 
• commander 
• despot 
• totalitarian 
• tyrant 

When To Use

What does oligarch mean?

An oligarch is one of the select few people who rule or influence leaders in an oligarchy—a government in which power is held by a select few individuals or a small class of powerful people.Oligarchs can be the actual leaders, or they can influence or control the decisions that the leaders make (meaning 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. Oligarch is used in the same way.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.The word oligarch can refer to a person who’s a part of an oligarchy in any of the senses of the word.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: Oligarchs from just three powerful families have run the country for decades, serving only their own interests.