What does oligarchy mean?
An oligarchy is a form of government in which a small, privileged group holds political power, usually while excluding most of the population from effective decision-making. The term can also refer to the group of rulers itself or to a state dominated by such an elite. In modern usage, “oligarchy” is often applied more broadly to concentrations of power in business, finance, politics, or society, especially when those with the greatest influence are able to shape institutions for their own benefit. Its critical force comes from the contrast it draws with democracy: political authority is concentrated rather than broadly distributed. The word is especially common in political commentary, historical analysis, and discussions of economic inequality. Although an oligarchy may coincide with hereditary rule, the concept is defined primarily by the concentration of power in few hands, not by the rulers’ title or method of succession.
nounA system of government in which power is concentrated in the hands of a small, privileged group, or a state ruled by such a group.
- A government or political system in which power is held by a small, privileged group.
- A state or community ruled by such a group.
"The country descended into oligarchy as a handful of powerful families controlled the government."
"The study examined how economic power shaped the emerging oligarchy."
"A powerful merchant oligarchy dominated the city's politics for decades."
The plural is used for different systems of oligarchic government or for groups that exercise oligarchic power.
"The historian compared the oligarchies of ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy."
Oligarchy is government by the few, but its members may change while the system of concentrated power endures.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of oligarchy
Oligarchy comes from Greek oligarchia, formed from oligos, “few,” and arkhos, “ruler” or “governor.” The word entered English in the 16th century and was initially associated with ancient Greek states governed by a small group of leading citizens. Its later use developed to include any state or system in which a narrow elite exercises dominant power.
Related word forms
How oligarchy is actually used
The term is generally critical or analytical rather than neutral, and is often used to describe political, economic, or social power held by a small group.
Easily confused with oligarchy
An oligarchy concentrates power in a small group, whereas democracy distributes political authority among the population.
An aristocracy is a class of hereditary or socially privileged nobles, while an oligarchy is a system of government controlled by a small group, which may or may not be hereditary.