Thesaurus results for OLIGARCHIES

oligarchies

noun

plural of oligarchy

as in cliques

a small group of people who exercise control over a country, business, etc. Critics complain that the government is now dominated by an oligarchy of wealthy businesspeople.

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as in empires

government that is controlled by a small group of people The nation was an oligarchy with election results manipulated to maintain a permanent ruling class.

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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Recent Examples of oligarchies Moreover, most Americans maintained the outdated notion that oligarchies couldn’t exist in nations that were at least nominally democratic. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 Breaking the hold of tech and financial oligarchies, including a ban on algorithmic wage-setting, ensures that AI does not become a tool for gutting the middle class. — Sarita Gupta, Time, 2 June 2026 The open-source software movement, partly a political project to protect the freedom to tinker and prevent corporate oligarchies from stifling innovation, would become a cornerstone of the technology industry. — Jonathan Weber, Fortune, 19 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oligarchies

Noun

So the players will get a day off to cool down but have to spend the night at the pub quiz in teams of Ted’s choosing, never mind the cliques.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Amid the crushes, cliques, and teenage angst, two sisters set out to define themselves on their own terms.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of cliques

Noun

The territories at various times have been part of the Russian and Ottoman empires, medieval Kievan Rus’ and earlier civilizations.

— Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
The Fantasy Bra Club is a who's-who of supermodels and, now, reality TV billionaires with makeup empires.

— Christopher Rosa, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of empires

Noun

The ruling military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger blamed selective justice.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
The intervention underscores Russia’s new role as protector of military regimes across the Sahel, where Africa Corps has replaced Wagner and prioritizes keeping juntas in power over battling insurgent groups.

— Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of juntas

Noun

In contrast to other Gulf monarchies, especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar sees no threat in the Muslim Brotherhood, the political movement that spawned Hamas.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
That point mattered in a republic still deciding how its authority should differ from that of the European monarchies that Americans portrayed as corrupt.

— Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of monarchies

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oleaginous

oligarchies

oligarchy

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“Oligarchies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oligarchies. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of oligarchies

noun

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