monocracy

noun

Definition of monocracynext
as in monarchy
a system of government in which there is only one ruler whose power is unlimited Until its dissolution in 1991, the Soviet Union operated under a monocracy.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for monocracy
  1. monarchy
  2. dictatorship
  3. tyranny
  4. authoritarianism
  5. monarchism
Noun
  • The new rules are expected to bring historic changes to Japan’s 1,500-year-old monarchy.
    — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The new rules are expected to bring historic changes to Japan's 1,500-year-old monarchy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of monarchy
Noun
  • His raspy voice, his beard, his missing finger and the cadence of his speech have been fixtures of Brazilian public life since Brazil’s first direct presidential election after the dictatorship ended in 1985.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
  • This strategy is unlikely to work on liberal Israelis, who view this election as the last chance to save their homeland from sliding into dictatorship.
    — Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Americans in 1940, although not yet at war, were the Arsenal of Democracy that likely saved the world from fascist tyranny.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • But, as Roy points out, finding love with Ellen actually gives Brian the strength to stand up to Lovat’s tyranny rather than bow to it.
    — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • The last one was really about the allure of authoritarianism.
    — J. Kim Murphy, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2026
  • But our survey respondents’ subsequent shift toward national identity, coupled with a further decline in mosque attendance, suggest that Erdogan’s turn toward authoritarianism may have intensified an ongoing trend toward liberalization.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of authoritarianism
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
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.

Browse Nearby Words

monocles
monocracy
monocrat
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Monocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monocracy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on monocracy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monocracy

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All