monarchy
English
edit
Alternative forms
editEtymology
editFrom 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”).
Pronunciation
edit- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈmɒnəki/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈmɑnɚki/
Audio (US): (file) - Hyphenation: mon‧ar‧chy
Noun
editmonarchy (countable and uncountable, plural monarchies)
- 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.
- c. 1587–1588, [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:
- 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?
- The territory ruled over by a monarch; a kingdom.
- 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]:
- What scourge for perjury / Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?
- 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.
Usage notes
editHistorically refers to a wide variety of systems with a single, nominally absolute ruler (compare autocracy, dictatorship), today primarily refers to and connotes a traditional, hereditary position, often with mainly symbolic power. Typically used of rulers who use the terms king/queen or emperor/empress.
Synonyms
edit- (rule): See Thesaurus:government
- (state): kingdom
Hyponyms
editCoordinate terms
editDerived terms
editRelated terms
editTranslations
editform of government with a hereditary head of state
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See also
editAnagrams
editPolish
editPronunciation
editNoun
editmonarchy
Categories:
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English terms prefixed with mon-
- English terms suffixed with -archy
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- en:Forms of government
- en:Monarchy
- en:One
- Polish 3-syllable words
- Polish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Polish/arxɘ
- Rhymes:Polish/arxɘ/3 syllables
- Polish non-lemma forms
- Polish noun forms