oligarchy

English

Etymology

From French oligarchie, from Latin oligarchia, from Ancient Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarchia), from ὀλίγος (oligos, “few”) + ἀρχή (archē, “rule”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈɒlɪɡɑːki/, SAMPA: /"QlIgA:ki/
• (US) enPR: älʹĭ-gär'kē, ōlʹĭ-gär'kē, IPA: /ˈɑːlɪˌɡɑrki/, /ˈoʊlɪˌɡɑrki/, SAMPA: /"A:lI%gArki/, /"oUlI%gArki/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Noun

Wikipedia oligarchy (plural oligarchies)

1. A government run by only a few, often the wealthy.
2. Those who make up an oligarchic government.
3. A state ruled by such a government.

Related terms

• oligarch
• oligarchic
• oligarchical

Translations

Government by only a few

Armenian: օլիգարխիա (hy) (ōligarxia) Catalan: oligarquia f. Chinese: Mandarin: 寡頭政治 (cmn), 寡头政治 (cmn) (guǎtóu zhèngzhì) Danish: oligarki (da) n., fåmandsvælde (da) n. and c. Dutch: oligarchie (nl) f. Esperanto: oligarĥio (eo) Finnish: harvainvalta (fi), oligarkia (fi) French: oligarchie (fr) f. Georgian: ოლიგარქია (ka)

German: Oligarchie (de) f. Greek: ολιγαρχία (el) f. Hebrew: אוליגרכיה (he) f. Japanese: 寡頭政治 (ja) (かとうせいじ, katō seiji) Persian: جرگه‌سالاری (jarge-salari) Russian: олигархия (ru) (oligárxija) f. Spanish: oligarquía (es) f. Swedish: oligarki (sv) n. Turkish: oligarşi (tr)

Those who make up an oligarchic government

Armenian: օլիգարխիա (hy) (ōligarxia) Catalan: oligarquia f. Chinese: Mandarin: 寡頭 (cmn), 寡头 (cmn) (guǎtóu) Dutch: oligarchie (nl) f. Esperanto: oligarĥio (eo)

Finnish: oligarkit, oligarkia, valtaeliitti French: oligarchie (fr) f. Hebrew: אוליגרכיה (he) f. Persian: جرگه‌سالاران (jarge-salaran) Russian: олигархия (ru) (oligárxija) f. Spanish: oligarquía (es) f.

State ruled by such a government

Armenian: օլիգարխիա (hy) (ōligarxia) Esperanto: oligarĥio (eo) Finnish: oligarkia (fi)

German: Oligarchie (de) f. Russian: олигархия (ru) (oligárxija) f. Swedish: oligarki (sv) n.