monarchy

noun

mon·​ar·​chy ˈmä-nər-kē 

 also  -ˌnär-

plural monarchies

1

: undivided rule or absolute sovereignty by a single person

Saudi Arabia is governed by a monarchy.

2

: a nation or state having a monarchical government

Britain is a monarchy.

3

: a government having a hereditary chief of state with life tenure and powers varying from nominal to absolute

The country's hereditary monarchy survived for centuries.

Examples of monarchy in a Sentence

the French monarchy of the 18th century

Recent Examples on the Web

If Mojtaba does indeed become supreme leader, not only will the Islamic Republic come closer to becoming a hereditary monarchy, but the forward defense may get a second wind. —Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

Many of Trump's critics, including high-ranking members of the Democratic Party, said that a king ran against many of the principles of the Constitution, which was designed to oppose the British monarchy. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025

Despite her recent opposition to Markle, McCain famously took a stance against the British monarchy in the past — enough so that her prior observations about Markle and Oprah Winfrey's contributions to chipping away at the royal system's veneer during an episode of The View went viral online. —EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025

While the British monarchy usually receives the lion’s share of the global public’s attention, recently, the Danes have been enjoying a moment in the spotlight. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing monarchy

• constitutional monarchy

Kids Definition

monarchy

noun

mon·​ar·​chy ˈmän-ər-kē 

plural monarchies

1

: total rule by one person

2

: a nation or country ruled by a monarch

3

: a form of government having a chief of state who inherits the position, rules for life, and holds powers varying from very limited to total