1
as in clique
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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in empire
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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oligarchy
Over time, a Democratic Party will need a three-pronged counter-attack to reverse Trumpers’ unprecedented blitzkrieg to the worst of two worlds — oligarchy and fascism.
—
Mark Green, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
The oligarchy is almost as incompetent and out of touch as is Trump.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2025
For the tech oligarchy, the business leaders, the rank-and-file Republicans, the tariffs were the ultimate loyalty test.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
The American people do not want oligarchy, authoritarianism or attacks on Social Security, Medicaid or the VA.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Mark Green, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
The oligarchy is almost as incompetent and out of touch as is Trump.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2025
For the tech oligarchy, the business leaders, the rank-and-file Republicans, the tariffs were the ultimate loyalty test.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
The American people do not want oligarchy, authoritarianism or attacks on Social Security, Medicaid or the VA.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oligarchy
Noun
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The majority of them belong to the it-girl clique of Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza), the popular girl with a penchant for bullying Lori about her mother's reputation.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
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Following in the footsteps of Brooklyn crew the Troopers and Upper West Side clique SweepersENT, the new sound is darker than the party drill wave of the last few years.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2025
Noun
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In 1890 came the colonial encroachment by British–South African empire man Cecil John Rhodes, after whom the country was named.—
Percy Zvomuya,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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Bodacious opened in 1991 as part of East Texas pitmaster Roland Lindsey’s barbecue empire.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Citing concern that the junta is not equipped to protect Chinese assets, Beijing has pressured the junta to form joint-venture security firms that are now deployed at the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port in the west and in Muse in the east along the Chinese-Myanmar border.—
Ye Myo Hein,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Apr. 2025
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In March 2024, Rupa was deployed to the front line in a remote area near the China border, where the KIA was fighting against Myanmar military junta forces for control over a major highway.—
Emily Fishbein, Hpan Ja Brang,
The Dial,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His parents, Marcelo Netto and Miriam Leitão, are both journalists who resisted the dictatorship and were persecuted.—
Marcelo Cajueiro,
Variety,
27 May 2025
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Nicaraguan journalists, exiled in Costa Rica because of the dictatorship at home, launched a crowdfunding campaign following the U.S. cuts.—
Nelson Mauricio Rauda Zablah,
Christian Science Monitor,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oligarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oligarchy. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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