necrocracy means A form of government imposed by those who have since died. It carries an Arena rating of 1382, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, necrocracy ranks #243 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #365 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #749 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #938 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words.
necrocracy is pronounced /nɛˈkɹɒkɹəsi/.
Why “necrocracy” is a great word
A government in which sovereign authority is formally or effectively vested in the dead, deriving ultimate power from a corpse. From the combining form necro-, from Ancient Greek νεκρός (nekrós, "dead body, corpse") + -cracy, from Ancient Greek -κρατία (-kratía), from κράτος (krátos, "power, rule"). Unlike a gerontocracy, which is dominated by the living elderly, or a theocracy, which is directed by living divine representatives, a necrocracy derives its mandate from those who have passed beyond all worldly engagement. It manifests as the glass-encased tomb that serves as the nation's pulpit, the constitution that cannot be amended because its authors are gone, and the dead leader's portrait gazing, unchanging, from every public wall—a political system whose most profound act is its refusal to let the past be buried, ruled by the silent, weightless pressure of those long beneath the soil.
Etymology
From necro- (“dead”) + -cracy (“power, rule”).
noun
- A form of government imposed by those who have since died.
- A form of government where a dead person is recognised as its head; usually a deceased former leader.
- A government ruled by the undead.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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