oligarch

noun

ol·​i·​garch ˈä-lə-ˌgärk  ˈō- 

plural oligarchs

1

: a member or supporter of an oligarchy

2

in Russia and other countries that succeeded the Soviet Union : one of a class of individuals who through private acquisition of state assets amassed great wealth that is stored especially in foreign accounts and properties and who typically maintain close links to the highest government circles

But what does it really mean to be a Russian oligarch …? … in Russian politics, the term first came about in the 1990s to describe a dozen or so powerful men who amassed immense wealth following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

—The Business Insider

The task force will pool the resources of the countries' law enforcement divisions to track down the assets of Russian oligarchs stashed overseas, a difficult task complicated by the opaque or complicated financial instruments frequently used by Russian financial elites to hide their holdings from public view.

—Jeff Stein

… young Armenians, who joined the protests in droves, angry that the same small club of politicians and oligarchs has controlled the country since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

—Neil Macfarquhar

Examples of oligarch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Musk’s embrace of the AfD has already triggered a vigorous debate in Germany about oligarchs. —Paul Hockenos, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025

By late 2024, however, these oligarchs had recovered much of their wealth. —Daniel Markind, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024

In his latest and greatest film, the writer/director conjures up a vibrant romance between a witty New York stripper (Mikey Madison) and a Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn). —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 29 Nov. 2024

For instance, a bipartisan report from the Senate in 2020 revealed that Russian oligarchs evaded sanctions on the country by funneling $18 million into high-value art. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek oligárchēs, from olig- olig- + -archēs -arch entry 1, after Greek oligarcheîsthai "to be ruled by an oligarchy," oligarchía oligarchy

First Known Use

circa 1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1