monarchy

noun

Definition of monarchynext
1
as in monarchism
a system of government in which there is only one ruler whose power is unlimited Under a monarchy, the position of ruler is often passed down from parent to child.

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2
as in democracy
a group of people who live in a territory ruled by a single person The country was formerly a monarchy, but has now transitioned to a republic.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of monarchy Over the last six years, the pair have made a series of explosive allegations about what life was like inside the monarchy, much to the dismay of many members of the British royal family. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 But what is essential is that the king accepts that the Waleses and their children are the future of the monarchy. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Yet under the guidance of the shadowy Newin Chidchob, Bhumjaithai has gradually become a force in Thai politics and a crucial ally of the monarchy and its sympathizers. — Duncan McCargo, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2026 Before that, the monarchy had promoted a more secular and westernized image of women. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for monarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monarchy
  1. monarchism
  2. democracy
  3. republic
  4. dictatorship
  5. sovereign
  6. kingdom
  7. commonwealth
  8. nation
Noun
  • But for anyone outside the British elite, the constitutional monarchism that emerged after the civil wars did not look much like democracy or true liberty.
    — Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
  • And the Decemberists tried to overthrow the Tsar and insist on having some of the more basic aspects of representative constitutional monarchism introduced into Russia.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2022
Definition of monarchism
Noun
  • Advertisement And yet the SAVE Act is only one front of the attack on our democracy.
    — Kica Matos, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For four decades, remarkable economic development has been joined by successful political democracy.
    — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of democracy
Noun
  • The Prime Minister of the Turkish republic of northern Cyprus, Ünal Üstel, told Turkish media that 237 people had been rescued from the ship, and search efforts were continuing for 23 people.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • This panic is also nothing new; television was supposed to rot our brains, and radio before that, and somehow the republic survived.
    — Mckenna Friedland, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of republic
Noun
  • In 2021, the SAF and RSF worked together to overthrow the civilian Cabinet that was overseeing Sudan’s transition to democracy after 30 years of dictatorship under Omar al-Bashir.
    — Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Not by tightening the siege on Iran directly, but by tightening the siege on those who help this regime, this terrible dictatorship.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • In Norway, the official duties of the sovereign are primarily ceremonial, but the monarch heads Council of State meetings on Fridays and formally opens the new session of the Norwegian Parliament each year.
    — James Frater, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Agnatic primogeniture, directly inherited from the Salic Law, stipulates that in the event of death or abdication, the sovereign’s closest male relative is called upon to ascend the throne.
    — Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of sovereign
Noun
  • In the 2010s, the kingdom and some of the other Arab Gulf states turned to China for armed drones since the United States refused to sell them any at the time.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In July this year, Jamaica’s government said two of its three citizens deported to the tiny kingdom have formally declined offers to be repatriated to the Caribbean nation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • And that is our plan here in the commonwealth now with the strictest requirements in the entire country.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Nine students, represented by their guardians, along with four nonprofit groups, have sued Massachusetts, saying the commonwealth had denied schoolchildren the right to an adequate education and to equal protection under the law.
    — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of commonwealth
Noun
  • Tiani had pledged to improve security in the Sahel nation, a major uranium producer, but jihadist attacks have persisted.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Rescue teams in Nepal have located 187 tourists after deadly landslides ripped through the Himalayan nation on Wednesday, local officials said Saturday, with around 3,000 people still missing on both sides of the Nepal-China border.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of nation

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monarchs
monarchy
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Cite this Entry

“Monarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monarchy. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on monarchy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monarchy

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