monarchy
nounUK /ˈmɒnəki/ · US /ˈmɑnɚki/
Etymology From Old French monarchie, from Late Latin monarchia, from Ancient Greek μοναρχία (monarkhía), from μόνος (mónos, “only”) + ἀρχή (arkhḗ, “power, authority”). By surface analysis, mon- (“one, single”) + -archy (“rule, command”).
A government in which sovereignty is embodied within a single, today usually hereditary head of state (whether as a figurehead or as a powerful ruler).
- An absolute monarchy is a monarchy where the monarch is legally the ultimate authority in all temporal matters.
- A constitutional monarchy is a monarchy in which the monarch's power is legally constrained, ranging from where minor concessions have been made to appease certain factions to where the monarch is a figurehead with all real power in the hands of a legislative body.
1 more example
- He that with ſhepheards and a litle ſpoyle, Durſt in diſdaine of wrong and tyrannie, Defend his freedome gainſt a Monarchie: What will he doe ſupported by a king?c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene i:
The territory ruled over by a monarch; a kingdom.
- What scourge for perjury / Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
A form of government where sovereignty is embodied by a single ruler in a state and his high aristocracy representing their separate divided lands within the state and their low aristocracy representing their separate divided fiefs.
States based on a system of governance headed by a king or a queen.
- Synonyms
- government, kingdom
- Derived terms
- absolute monarchy, antimonarchy, aristomonarchy, bicycle monarchy, bicycling monarchy, composite monarchy, constitutional monarchy, limited monarchy, mixed monarchy, nonmonarchy, parliamentary monarchy
- Hyponyms
- absolute monarchy, bicycle monarchy, bicycling monarchy, composite monarchy, constitutional monarchy, limited monarchy, mixed monarchy, parliamentary monarchy
- Coordinate terms
- government