oligarchy

It imposes a duty on the federal government to prevent states from sliding into oligarchy or other antidemocratic forms of government.

From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2026

Typically wearing a traditional Caribbean shirt, Cepeda forgoes a tie, which he considers a symbol of oligarchy.

From Barron's ● May 25, 2026

Around this time, Greek observers began to use the word “Carthaginian,” and the monarchy was replaced by the oligarchy that would prevail for the rest of Carthage’s history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026

Merging "bro" and "oligarchy", it means "a small group of men, especially men owning or involved in a technology business, who are extremely rich and powerful, and who have or want political influence".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2025

It’s not hard for me to believe that the Bureau would do bad things, because every government I’ve ever known has done bad things, even the Abnegation oligarchy, of which my father was the head.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

Immediately following the war, Sparta established oligarchies of local aristocrats in the city-states that had been democracies under the Delian League.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

Global supply chains were supposed to lower costs, boost profits and enable democratic values to seep into the terrain of oligarchies, dictatorships and autocracies.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 11, 2022

Autocracies, unlike oligarchies, make for engaging political theater.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2021

To the present day at least 10 of the 15 former Soviet republics can be accurately described as oligarchies.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 30, 2019

All past oligarchies have fallen from power either because they ossified or because they grew soft.

From "1984" by George Orwell