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oligarchy

Definitions of Oligarchy

  1. (noun) A type of business or government in which a small elite group holds power; government by the few.
  2. (noun) Any group under oligarchic control.

Oligarchy Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: ol·i·gar·chy

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /AHl-uh-gahr-kee/
  • British English – /Ol-igah-kee/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˈɑləˌɡɑrki/
  • British English – /ˈɒlᵻɡɑːki/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: oligarchies
  • Variant spelling: oligarchie
  • An (noun) oligarch presides (adverb) oligarchically over an (adjective) oligarchic or (adjective) oligarchical government.

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Works Consulted

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Cite the Definition of Oligarchy

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “oligarchy.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 29, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/oligarchy/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

oligarchy. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/oligarchy/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “oligarchy.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/oligarchy/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“oligarchy.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/oligarchy/>.