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 The Declaration of Independence was about severing the chains of a British monarchy and creating a government powered by the people with checks and balances. — Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 As Egypt moved from monarchy to revolution and the dream of Arab unity captured the attention of millions, her voice became a source of comfort, pride, and collective identity throughout the region. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 June 2026 Qatar, a geographically small country jutting off the Arabian Peninsula into the Persian Gulf, is ruled by a hereditary monarchy and is one of the wealthiest producers of oil and natural gas on the planet. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 William and Kate Three hundred million people looked on as Britain's future king and queen wed on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, defining a new era for the monarchy. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 3 July 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
  • Divisions are part of the price of democracy, argued Lincoln author and University of Florida professor Allen Guelzo.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The birthright citizenship ruling was a win for democracy — and a warning about erasing history, argues columnist Anita Chabria.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of democracy
Noun
  • This swept away Iran’s monarchy and birthed a state that is part theocracy, part republic, with a handful of semi-democratic institutions swaddled by a system that is ultimately clerical.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • On America’s 250th, the president has elevated some important debates about the mechanics of running a self-governing republic.
    — Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 5 July 2026
Definition of republic
Noun
  • His story stretches beyond sports, touching one of Haiti’s many mysteries of Haiti’s brutal Duvalier dictatorship and reflecting on the outsize role Haitians have long played in shaping American history.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
  • Virtually all contemporary dictatorships are cosplay democracies with term limits, elections, and legislatures—the few ruling, as Amos Perlmutter put it, in the name of the many.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • The centuries-old ceremony sees the sovereign symbolically accept the keys to the city of Edinburgh and immediately return them for safekeeping.
    — Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
  • This has seen both sovereigns and corporates raising billions of dollars in conventional bonds and sukuk over recent months.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 30 June 2026
Definition of sovereign
Noun
  • Riyadh's exports over the two weeks to July 2 were more than double the 15 million barrels the kingdom shipped through the strait from March 9 through June 17.
    — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 4 July 2026
  • Tipu’s kingdom finally fell in 1799, when British and allied forces overwhelmed his fortress at Seringapatam, a few hours’ drive from present-day Bangalore.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • The Pennsylvania Game Commission says the commonwealth is home to both red and gray foxes.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 25 June 2026
  • Eight towns in the commonwealth remain dry.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 23 June 2026
Definition of commonwealth
Noun
  • Some two dozen nations have sent some 3,000 emergency personnel to Venezuela.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • Both countries have stepped up efforts to safeguard freedom of navigation and uphold international law in the strait, including hosting a summit with 51 other nations in April.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of nation

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Cite this Entry

“Monarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monarchy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on monarchy

Nglish: Translation of monarchy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monarchy

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