1
as in monarchism
a system of government in which there is only one ruler whose power is unlimited
Under a monarchy, the position of ruler is often passed down from parent to child.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in democracy
a group of people who live in a territory ruled by a single person
The country was formerly a monarchy, but has now transitioned to a republic.
Related Words
Example Sentences
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 monarchy
Is there a scenario where the British monarchy is no longer so divided?
—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
27 June 2026
The news—the first time a British monarch has shared details about their personal tax returns—came as a part of a larger set of announcements about the future of the monarchy and its finances.
—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
26 June 2026
Hawaii has a long and complex history, from its Indigenous roots and royal monarchy to the arrival of missionaries and Western influence.
—
Sharael Kolberg,
Travel + Leisure,
26 June 2026
The public’s focus on Mountbatten-Windsor has overshadowed the king’s efforts to modernize the monarchy and show that the 1,000-year-old institution can evolve.
—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for monarchy
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
27 June 2026
The news—the first time a British monarch has shared details about their personal tax returns—came as a part of a larger set of announcements about the future of the monarchy and its finances.
—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
26 June 2026
Hawaii has a long and complex history, from its Indigenous roots and royal monarchy to the arrival of missionaries and Western influence.
—
Sharael Kolberg,
Travel + Leisure,
26 June 2026
The public’s focus on Mountbatten-Windsor has overshadowed the king’s efforts to modernize the monarchy and show that the 1,000-year-old institution can evolve.
—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for monarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monarchy
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.
-
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.
Noun
-
Divisions are part of the price of democracy, argued Lincoln author and University of Florida professor Allen Guelzo.
-
The birthright citizenship ruling was a win for democracy — and a warning about erasing history, argues columnist Anita Chabria.
Noun
-
Republican legislators, taking their lead from a president who sees half the nation as his personal enemy, have put their own party’s interests over the republic’s.
-
They were inspired by Cicero and Cato, the heroes and martyrs of the Roman republic.
Noun
-
His story stretches beyond sports, touching one of Haiti’s many mysteries of Haiti’s brutal Duvalier dictatorship and reflecting on the outsize role Haitians have long played in shaping American history.
-
Virtually all contemporary dictatorships are cosplay democracies with term limits, elections, and legislatures—the few ruling, as Amos Perlmutter put it, in the name of the many.
Noun
-
The centuries-old ceremony sees the sovereign symbolically accept the keys to the city of Edinburgh and immediately return them for safekeeping.
-
This has seen both sovereigns and corporates raising billions of dollars in conventional bonds and sukuk over recent months.
Noun
-
Riyadh's exports over the two weeks to July 2 were more than double the 15 million barrels the kingdom shipped through the strait from March 9 through June 17.
-
Tipu’s kingdom finally fell in 1799, when British and allied forces overwhelmed his fortress at Seringapatam, a few hours’ drive from present-day Bangalore.
Noun
-
The Pennsylvania Game Commission says the commonwealth is home to both red and gray foxes.
-
Eight towns in the commonwealth remain dry.
Noun
-
Some two dozen nations have sent some 3,000 emergency personnel to Venezuela.
-
Both countries have stepped up efforts to safeguard freedom of navigation and uphold international law in the strait, including hosting a summit with 51 other nations in April.
Cite this Entry
“Monarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monarchy. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
