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

But there are reports that Prince William and King Charles are now not seeing eye to eye on the monarchy in general, and Prince Harry and Prince William’s relationship still seems far from good terms. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 4 Sep. 2025

The country was in a state of flux, the Mexicans under the rule of a monarchy imposed by the French. —Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025

The fates of so many were decided on the 1969 day when a dashing and sadly underestimated 25-year-old Colonel Qaddafi seized power from the monarchy in a matter of hours and promised a new golden era, inspired by Egypt’s President Nasser. —Leila Latif, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025

The book explores the relationship between the monarchy and Britain’s political leaders. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 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