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.
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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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oligarchy
There is no ethical consumption under tech oligarchy, etc.
—
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Sanders has consistently called out the Trump administration, accusing it of being an oligarchy and has drawn big crowds, even in Republican strongholds.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Barnstorming against oligarchy helped Ocasio-Cortez raise $9.6 million in the first quarter of the year, rekindling speculation about her viability as a candidate for higher office.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 19 May 2025
But can a billionaire—especially one born into wealth—really be the champion of a party that's spent the last decade railing against economic oligarchy?
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Sanders has consistently called out the Trump administration, accusing it of being an oligarchy and has drawn big crowds, even in Republican strongholds.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Barnstorming against oligarchy helped Ocasio-Cortez raise $9.6 million in the first quarter of the year, rekindling speculation about her viability as a candidate for higher office.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 19 May 2025
But can a billionaire—especially one born into wealth—really be the champion of a party that's spent the last decade railing against economic oligarchy?
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oligarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oligarchy
Noun
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Its director, John J. Durham, was a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York who had spent a decade pursuing MS-13 cliques on Long Island.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
12 June 2025
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The series was supposed to take place in Beverly Hills and follow a new clique that caused an accidental murder at a bachelorette party.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2025
Noun
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High school projects could turn into Harvard case studies, teenage blogs into book deals, and college experiments into empire foundations.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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Now, with Hong Kong’s equity markets rebounding, Li is seizing a more favorable window to raise capital for the crown jewel of his business empire.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
Noun
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In 1976, a new military junta ousted the government, and soon the nightmare so many had dreaded was a reality.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
However, following Myanmar’s violent military coup in 2021, the military junta has struggled to maintain control of the territory amid opposition from the public and armed groups.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
24 June 2025
Noun
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During the dictatorship, blackouts were used to control people.—
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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But if Trump’s Iran gamble turns out well and Iran’s theocratic dictatorship either crumbles or gives up its uranium enrichment program through diplomatic negotiations — a big if — Trump will be credited with having done something four previous presidents contemplated but ultimately failed to do.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oligarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oligarchy. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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