[mon-er-kee] 
| 1. | a state or nation in which the supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch. Compare absolute monarchy, limited monarchy. |
| 2. | supreme power or sovereignty held by a single person. |
| mon·ar·chy (mŏn'ər-kē, -är'-) n. pl. mon·ar·chies
[Middle English monarchie, from Old French, from Latin monarchia, from Greek monarkhiā, from monarkhos, monarch; see monarch.] mo·nar'chi·al (mə-när'kē-əl) adj. |
A system of government in which one person reigns, usually a king or queen. The authority, or crown, in a monarchy is generally inherited. The ruler, or monarch, is often only the head of state, not the head of government. Many monarchies, such as Britain and Denmark, are actually governed by parliaments. (See absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy.)
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