oligarchic

adjective

ol·​i·​gar·​chic ˌä-lə-ˈgär-kik How to pronounce oligarchic (audio)
ˌō-
variants or oligarchical
ˌä-lə-ˈgär-ki-kəl How to pronounce oligarchic (audio)
ˌō-
: of, relating to, or based on an oligarchy

Examples of oligarchic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Almost all the land was in the hands of oligarchic families or in the hands of mosques, the mosque endowments, and at the emancipation of women, giving women the right to vote. — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026 Orbán’s autocratic rule, his takeover of the press and courts, and the corruption of his family and oligarchic friends became intolerable. — Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026 In 2025, protesters were not just rejecting oligarchic rot, but also reaffirming their long-standing frustration over India’s role in sustaining it. — Muhib Rahman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2025 Stevens was born in 1792, less than four years after the ratification of the Constitution, and grew up in a society formed in the wake of great violence that was questionably democratic, if not outright oligarchic. — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for oligarchic

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, Medieval Latin & Greek; French oligarchique, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin oligarchicus, borrowed from Greek oligarchikós, from oligarchía oligarchy + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oligarchic was in 1586

Rhymes for oligarchic

See All Rhymes for oligarchic

Browse Nearby Words

oligarchal
oligarchic
oligarchy
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Cite this Entry

“Oligarchic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oligarchic. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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