oligarchy

noun, plural ol·i·gar·chies.

a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.

a state or organization so ruled.

the persons or class so ruling.

Origin:
1570–80; < Medieval Latin oligarchia < Greek oligarchía. See olig-, -archy

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To oligarchy

Collins

World English Dictionary

oligarchy (ˈɒlɪˌɡɑːkɪ)

—n , pl -chies
1.	government by a small group of people
2.	a state or organization so governed
3.	a small body of individuals ruling such a state
4.	chiefly (US) a small clique of private citizens who exert a strong influence on government

[C16: via Medieval Latin from Greek oligarkhia, from olígos few + -archy]

oli'garchic

—*adj*

oli'garchical

—*adj*

oli'garchically

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Oligarchy is always a great word to know.

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a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

oligarchy

1570s, from M.Fr. oligarchie (14c.), from Gk. oligarkhia "government by the few," from oligoi "few, small, little" (of unknown origin) + arkhein "to rule" (see archon).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

oligarchy [(ol-uh-gahr-kee, oh-luh-gahr-kee)]

A system of government in which power is held by a small group.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences

But her officials' efforts to paint the protesters as a rural oligarchy bent on

toppling the government have done her little good.

Now is the time for us to end the financial oligarchy that has been so

destructive to our economy.

The interesting question is whether or not it is even possible for a democracy

not to evolve into an oligarchy.

It's oligarchy and history has shown us that the current state of affairs is

not sustainable in the long-run.