monocracy

noun

mo·​noc·​ra·​cy mä-ˈnä-krə-sē 

mə-

: government by a single person

monocrat

ˈmä-nə-ˌkrat 

noun

monocratic

ˌmä-nə-ˈkra-tik 

adjective

Did you know?

In society's search for the best kind of government, the suffix -cracy (which means "form of government" and traces to the Greek kratos, meaning "strength" or "power") has worn many hats. "Monocracy" pairs "-cracy" with a descendant of monos, meaning "alone" or "single." The suffix also underlies other governmental terms including "democracy" ("government by the people"), "aristocracy" ("government by a small privileged class"), "theocracy" ("government by divine guidance"), "ochlocracy" ("government by the mob"), and "gerontocracy" ("rule by elders").

Examples of monocracy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Biden administration justified its decision — or no decision — with the tired old rationalizations and justifications that the U.S. has been using for years to give the medieval monocracy a pass on human rights violations. —Ahmed Tharwat, Star Tribune, 1 Mar. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

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