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It is the doctrine of the oligarchy that there is nothing that we hold in common, that the commonwealth is a myth, that it is even a sign of softheadedness and weakness. The oligarchical power feeds on the sense that we are all individuals, struggling on our own, and ennobled by the effort.
Charlie Pierce

Meaning of "oligarchy" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD OLIGARCHY

Via Medieval Latin from Greek oligarkhia, from olígos few + -archy.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF OLIGARCHY

oligarchy  [ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːkɪ] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF OLIGARCHY

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Oligarchy is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES OLIGARCHY MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Oligarchy

Oligarchy (from Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía); from ὀλίγος (olígos), meaning "few", and ἄρχω (arkho), meaning "to rule or to command") is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people. These people could be distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, education, corporate, or military control. Such states are often controlled by a few prominent families who typically pass their influence from one generation to the next, but inheritance is not a necessary condition for the application of this term. Throughout history, oligarchies have often been tyrannical (relying on public obedience and/or oppression to exist) though others have been seen as relatively benign. Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which the exact term is plutocracy. However, oligarchy is not always rule by the wealthy, as oligarchs can simply be a privileged group, and do not have to be connected by either wealth or by bloodlines - as in a monarchy.

Definition of oligarchy in the English dictionary

The first definition of oligarchy in the dictionary is government by a small group of people. Other definition of oligarchy is a state or organization so governed. Oligarchy is also a small body of individuals ruling such a state.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH OLIGARCHY


Abnaki
æbˈnɑːkɪ
barky
ˈbɑːkɪ
darkie
ˈdɑːkɪ
darky
ˈdɑːkɪ
hierarchy
ˈhaɪəˌrɑːkɪ
Iraqi
ɪˈrɑːkɪ
kaki
ˈkɑːkɪ
Kawasaki
ˌkɑːwəˈsɑːkɪ
khaki
ˈkɑːkɪ
malarky
məˈlɑːkɪ
Nagasaki
ˌnɑːɡəˈsɑːkɪ
parky
ˈpɑːkɪ
patriarchy
ˈpeɪtrɪˌɑːkɪ
saki
ˈsɑːkɪ
sparkie
ˈspɑːkɪ
sparky
ˈspɑːkɪ
Starkey
ˈstɑːkɪ
sukiyaki
ˌsuːkɪˈjɑːkɪ
triarchy
ˈtraɪɑːkɪ
Yamasaki
ˌjæməˈsɑːkɪ

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE OLIGARCHY

oligaemia
oligaemic
oligarch
oligarchal
oligarchic
oligarchical
oligarchically
oligarchies
oligemia
oligemic
oligist
Oligocene
oligochaete
oligochrome
oligoclase
oligocythaemia
oligodendrocyte
oligodendroglia
oligogene
oligomer

WORDS THAT END LIKE OLIGARCHY

absolute monarchy
anarchy
autarchy
chiliarchy
churchy
constitutional monarchy
diarchy
Dual Monarchy
eparchy
ethnarchy
heptarchy
heterarchy
limited monarchy
monarchy
nomarchy
phylarchy
polyarchy
squirarchy
starchy
tetrarchy
trierarchy

Synonyms and antonyms of oligarchy in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «oligarchy» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF OLIGARCHY

Find out the translation of oligarchy to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of oligarchy from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «oligarchy» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

寡头
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

oligarquía
570 millions of speakers

English

oligarchy
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

कुलीनतंत्र
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

الأوليغارشية
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

олигархия
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

oligarquia
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

রাজ্যশাসন
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

oligarchie
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Oligarki
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Oligarchie
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

寡頭政治
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

과두 정치
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Oligarki
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

thiểu số chánh trị
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

தன்னலக் குழுவின்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

अल्पसंख्यांक
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

oligarşi
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

oligarchia
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

oligarchia
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

олігархія
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

oligarhie
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

ολιγαρχία
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

oligargie
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

oligarki
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

oligarki
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of oligarchy

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «OLIGARCHY»

The term «oligarchy» is regularly used and occupies the 73.976 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
66
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «oligarchy» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of oligarchy
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «oligarchy».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «OLIGARCHY» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «oligarchy» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «oligarchy» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about oligarchy

EXAMPLES

8 QUOTES WITH «OLIGARCHY»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word oligarchy.
1
Susan B. Anthony
An oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African, might be endured; but this oligarchy of sex which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters of every household... carries discord and rebellion into every home of the nation.
2
Henry James Sumner Maine
Our authorities leave us no doubt that the trust lodged with the oligarchy was sometimes abused, but it certainly ought not to be regarded as a mere usurpation or engine of tyranny.
3
Charles de Montesquieu
The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.
4
Jason Mraz
As an American citizen, one has to vote. If we don't vote, we're not doing our part. We'll become some sort of oligarchy.
5
Charlie Pierce
It is the doctrine of the oligarchy that there is nothing that we hold in common, that the commonwealth is a myth, that it is even a sign of softheadedness and weakness. The oligarchical power feeds on the sense that we are all individuals, struggling on our own, and ennobled by the effort.
6
Pat Robertson
But if there's an erosion at home, you know, Thomas Jefferson warned about a tyranny of an oligarchy and if we surrender our democracy to the tyranny of an oligarchy, we've made a terrible mistake.
7
Yulia Tymoshenko
I never complain. I chose the road of fighting with the Ukrainian oligarchy in 1996, and have paid for this with my freedom and that of my husband, my father and my close friends.
8
Henry A. Wallace
We must not tolerate oppressive government or industrial oligarchy in the form of monopolies and cartels.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «OLIGARCHY»

Discover the use of oligarchy in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to oligarchy and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Oligarchy
Cases studied in this book include the United States, ancient Athens and Rome, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, medieval Venice and Siena, mafia commissions in the United States and Italy, feuding Appalachian families and early chiefs ...
Jeffrey A. Winters, 2011
2
In Defiance of Oligarchy: The Tory Party 1714-60
In this book Linda Colley explores the fate of the tory party which has dominated both Parliament and the constituencies throughout of the reigns of William III and Anne.
Linda Colley, 1985
3
Aristotle and Xenophon on Democracy and Oligarchy
Three treatises survive from classical Greece under the loose title Politeiai (Constitutions) which are unique in character and indispensable to any student of the period.
John Michael Moore, 1975
4
On Oligarchy: Ancient Lessons for Global Politics
As the economic dominance of an elite minority coincides with the forces of globalization, is oligarchy becoming the dominant political regime? This collection explores the renewed relevance of oligarchy to contemporary global politics.
David Tabachnick, Toivu Koivukoski, 2011
5
Reorganising Power in Indonesia: The Politics of Oligarchy ...
Reorganising Power in Indonesia is a new and distinctive analysis of the dramatic fall of Soeharto, the last of the great Cold War capitalist dictators, and of the struggles that reshape power and wealth in Indonesia.
Richard Robison, Vedi R. Hadiz, 2004
6
The Politics of Oligarchy: Institutional Choice in Imperial ...
This book examines the failure of the Meiji oligarchy to design institutions capable of protecting their hold on power in Japan.
J. Mark Ramseyer, Frances McCall Rosenbluth, 1998
7
Polis and Revolution: Responding to Oligarchy in Classical ...
This book explores how democracy in Athens was recreated and the city rebuilt following the oligarchic revolutions of the fifth century BC.
Julia L. Shear, 2011
8
The New World Oligarchy: Destroying the United States ...
Yes, this novel is based on actual events, which should motivate every American to become involved ? for this time we have no place to run!
John R. Krismer, 2012
9
Popular Government And Oligarchy in Renaissance Italy
An examination of the nature of popular government and oligarchy in towns and cities throughout Renaissance Italy, and of the reasons why broadly-based civic governments were losing ground.
Christine Shaw, 2006
10
The Great Canadian Oligarchy: Flaws in Our Freedoms
THE GREAT CANADIAN OLIGARCHY deals with the future of freedom in Canada. The text focuses on the redefinition of our freedoms as our Charter of Rights and Freedoms is being applied to our culture? How is our nation an oligarchy?
Read I. Myers, 2012

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «OLIGARCHY»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term oligarchy is used in the context of the following news items.
1
The great Greece fire sale
“The very thing we all think that Greece needs – to get rid of its oligarchy – will in fact be entrenched by privatisation done this way,” argues ... «The Guardian, Jul 15»
2
How to make $7 billion in 45 minutes
... milestone hit by the Dow or NASDAQ with rapture and depicts the members of America's billionaire oligarchy as geniuses and innovators. «World Socialist Web Site, Jul 15»
3
How to think about Islamic State
Coleridge, denouncing “a contemptible democratical oligarchy of glib economists”, asked: “Is the increasing number of wealthy individuals that ... «The Guardian, Jul 15»
4
Fascist Paraguay's Disrespect for Human Life
Nonetheless, the ruling oligarchy as well as the transnational agricultural interests found his presidency intolerable, fearing that it was ... «Dissident Voice, Jul 15»
5
Exclusive Premiere: Samantha Crain, 'Killer'
With her powerful new album, Under Branch & Thorn & Tree, Samantha Crain takes it upon herself to use her music for protest. “The oligarchy ... «Diffuser.fm, Jul 15»
6
Kuldīga: Latvia's Ancient Jewel
It was, after all, not in any way a Latvian state, but an ethnic oligarchy maintained by a statistically insignificant sliver of the population, the Baltic ... «UpNorth, Jul 15»
7
“Bernie or Bust” Write-In Pledge Circulating – Sign Up Today and …
To win a government that isn't bowing at the hands of a plutocracy, or worse, an oligarchy, the people must take a stand against repeating the ... «Ring of Fire, Jul 15»
8
Thought Train: Interesting time
Increasingly over the last few years, I started hearing politicians, historians, economists and academics refer to the U.S. as an oligarchy or ... «Petoskey News-Review, Jul 15»
9
LETTER: The origins of slavery are relevant to debate
Similarly, the Southern oligarchy had enriched itself over generations of slavery and, wanting desperately to perpetuate those economic ... «Tuscaloosa News, Jul 15»
10
Just Sayin': Road repairs through taxes ineffective
If all of them turned out to correct the oligarchy, we could redirect our resources to infrastructure, education and health care. Peter Meeker ... «Newsday, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Oligarchy [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/oligarchy>. May 2024 ».
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