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
Charles has reaffirmed the longstanding position of the monarchy, reinforcing that he is relaxed about any change in status and constitution.
—
Simon Perry, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024
Like most European monarchies, there are plenty of princes and princesses that hang from the branches of the House of Bernadotte family tree—many of whom also regularly make official appearances on behalf of their country.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2024
Constantine, a first cousin of Britain’s late Prince Philip and godfather to Prince William, was Greece’s last king before its monarchy was abolished in 1973, though his descendants, including Theodora, 41, still represent the country as princes and princesses.
—Rachel Burchfield, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2024
The scandal tarnished the reputation of Marie-Antoinette, who was unjustly accused of having an immoral relationship with a cardinal, and discredited the French monarchy ahead of the French Revolution, in which the Queen ultimately met her demise.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for monarchy 
Simon Perry, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024
Like most European monarchies, there are plenty of princes and princesses that hang from the branches of the House of Bernadotte family tree—many of whom also regularly make official appearances on behalf of their country.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2024
Constantine, a first cousin of Britain’s late Prince Philip and godfather to Prince William, was Greece’s last king before its monarchy was abolished in 1973, though his descendants, including Theodora, 41, still represent the country as princes and princesses.
—Rachel Burchfield, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2024
The scandal tarnished the reputation of Marie-Antoinette, who was unjustly accused of having an immoral relationship with a cardinal, and discredited the French monarchy ahead of the French Revolution, in which the Queen ultimately met her demise.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for monarchy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monarchy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Monarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarchy. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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