1
as in clique
a small group of people who exercise control over a country, business, etc.
Critics complain that the government is now dominated by an oligarchy of wealthy businesspeople.
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2
as in empire
government that is controlled by a small group of people
The nation was an oligarchy with election results manipulated to maintain a permanent ruling class.
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Recent Examples of oligarchy
Something long and meandering like this: For the next four years, the United States will be an unpredictable, unsteady global superpower run by a fascist oligarchy, in which the people’s representatives cater to a madman’s whim.
—
Eli Grober, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
The film is a dead-on skewering of the high-on-their-own supply megalomania that now afflicts so many members of the techno oligarchy, who unfortunately also control the levers of the world.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 31 May 2025
There is no ethical consumption under tech oligarchy, etc.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Sanders has consistently called out the Trump administration, accusing it of being an oligarchy and has drawn big crowds, even in Republican strongholds.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Eli Grober, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
The film is a dead-on skewering of the high-on-their-own supply megalomania that now afflicts so many members of the techno oligarchy, who unfortunately also control the levers of the world.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 31 May 2025
There is no ethical consumption under tech oligarchy, etc.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Sanders has consistently called out the Trump administration, accusing it of being an oligarchy and has drawn big crowds, even in Republican strongholds.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oligarchy
Noun
-
The pair were placed next to each other at a meal as part of Farke’s seating plan, where the German manager alternates a British player, then a foreign one, then a Brit and so on, around the tables — no cliques, no comfort zones.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
-
While at Robinson High School, Hogan found his clique with classmates who shared a passion for wrestling.—
Sue Carswell,
People.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
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The issue wasn’t with FC Nordsjælland, which is also part of the Right to Dream empire and has sent several other players to SDFC.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 July 2025
-
His new Goods and Services Tax replaced a byzantine tax code that included oddities like the octroi, a city toll on goods originating in the Roman empire.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
18 July 2025
Noun
-
Just imagine what would have happened to that mouthy, fearless girl coming of age in an Argentina dominated by the brutal military juntas of the late seventies and eighties.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
In 1976, a new military junta ousted the government, and soon the nightmare so many had dreaded was a reality.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
During the dictatorship, blackouts were used to control people.—
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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But if Trump’s Iran gamble turns out well and Iran’s theocratic dictatorship either crumbles or gives up its uranium enrichment program through diplomatic negotiations — a big if — Trump will be credited with having done something four previous presidents contemplated but ultimately failed to do.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oligarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oligarchy. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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