oligarchy
/ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːki/
Etymology
Borrowed from French oligarchie, from Late Latin oligarchia, from Ancient Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía), from ὀλίγος (olígos, “few”) + ἀρχή (arkhḗ, “rule”).
By surface analysis, oligo- (“few”) + -archy (“rule, command”).
oligarchy means A government run by and for only a few, often the aristocracy, the wealthy, or their friends and associates. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 78 out of 100.
oligarchy is pronounced /ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːki/.
Why “oligarchy” is a great word
OLIGARCHY — [Noun] A form of government in which power is held by a small, exclusive group, typically distinguished by wealth, family ties, or corporate control. From the Ancient Greek ὀλίγος (olígos, "few") + ἀρχή (arkhḗ, "rule, command"). Borrowed into English via Late Latin oligarchia and French oligarchie, first attested c. 1600. Unlike aristocracy, which cloaks a hereditary class in claims of virtue, or plutocracy, which specifies rule by wealth alone, oligarchy is the bare architecture of control by any self-perpetuating few. It is the shadow conference in a gilt-edged boardroom, the unchanging roster of surnames in a cabinet, the silent understanding between a general and an industrialist. Power, when confined to so few, becomes a private heirloom.
noun
- A government run by and for only a few, often the aristocracy, the wealthy, or their friends and associates.“Despite the involvement of all classes of society, America's political duopoly and the importance of money to mass-market campaigning has established an oligarchy that is seldom responsive to the citizenry as a whole, when opposed to the wealthy or major interest groups.”
- A state ruled by such a government.“The 1832 Reform Act aimed to transform the British oligarchy and allow Parliament to represent the interests of a broader range of the population.”
- Those who make up an oligarchic government.“The modern British oligarchy—particularly during periods of Tory rule—has been called a chumocracy.”