militocracy means the government of the armed forces. It carries an Arena rating of 1361, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, militocracy ranks #1,330 of 13,498 for Scariest Words, #3,101 of 13,498 for Funniest Words, #3,303 of 13,498 for Most Incisive Words, #4,507 of 13,498 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
Why “militocracy” is a great word
Government in which the military, as an institution, holds ultimate political power. From the Latin root *milit-* (from *miles*, "soldier") and the combining form *-ocracy* (from Greek *-kratia*, "power, rule"). Unlike "stratocracy," which denotes a state constitutionally governed by its armed forces, or "junta," which refers to a small clique of officers that seizes control by coup, a militocracy is the broader, entrenched dominion of the military class over the civil sphere. It is the general’s portrait in every town square, the defense budget eclipsing all other ministries, and the quiet, pervasive understanding that the barracks, not the parliament, holds the final veto—a system where the logic of command becomes the only permissible logic for a society.
Etymology
From milit(ary) + -ocracy.
noun
- The government of the armed forces.“Germany under Wilhelm II and Poland under Pilsudski exemplify a variant of militocracy where political preponderance and economic favours were restricted to the officer corps.”
Words closest in meaning
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