as in republics
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
Relevance
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 monarchies
Gerontocracy has always thrived in undemocratic places—Communist people’s republics, Gulf monarchies—where only death could pry power from the ruling elders.
—
Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
The primary strategic target of the declaration was the Bourbon monarchies of France and Spain, Britain’s chief rivals.
—Christopher Magra, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
There are still a significant number of countries and smaller political units that retain monarchies, however.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The deportations have been the subject of two legal challenges in Eswatini, which is ruled by a king and is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world.
—Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Gulf monarchies have barred residents from filming or livestreaming footage of Iranian strikes, with the UAE arresting dozens of people for sharing video of the conflict online.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Tehran's aim with the missile and drone fire has likely been to pressure the Gulf's monarchies to push their allies in Washington to end the war, but the Iranian calculus appears to be backfiring.
—CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
All six members of the GCC, the Arab monarchies of Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, have all come under fire from Iranian missiles and drones since Saturday.
—Dan Mangan,garrett Downs,leslie Josephs,holly Ellyatt,chloe Taylor,sam Meredith,azhar Sukri,anniek Bao,kevin Breuninger,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
No more communism, or fascism; no more theocracy, or monarchies.
—Richard Stengel, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
The primary strategic target of the declaration was the Bourbon monarchies of France and Spain, Britain’s chief rivals.
—Christopher Magra, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
There are still a significant number of countries and smaller political units that retain monarchies, however.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The deportations have been the subject of two legal challenges in Eswatini, which is ruled by a king and is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world.
—Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Gulf monarchies have barred residents from filming or livestreaming footage of Iranian strikes, with the UAE arresting dozens of people for sharing video of the conflict online.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Tehran's aim with the missile and drone fire has likely been to pressure the Gulf's monarchies to push their allies in Washington to end the war, but the Iranian calculus appears to be backfiring.
—CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
All six members of the GCC, the Arab monarchies of Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, have all come under fire from Iranian missiles and drones since Saturday.
—Dan Mangan,garrett Downs,leslie Josephs,holly Ellyatt,chloe Taylor,sam Meredith,azhar Sukri,anniek Bao,kevin Breuninger,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
No more communism, or fascism; no more theocracy, or monarchies.
—Richard Stengel, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monarchies
Noun
-
Encouraged and frightened by the events at Naples, other sovereigns granted constitutions.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Whatever their precise content, the blessings of liberty allow people to be something like sovereigns over their own lives.—
Cass Sunstein,
Big Think,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All kingdoms crumble, though, and after a decade-plus reign, the cupcake was left behind—an aging monarch overthrown by Dominique Ansel’s cronut, and the neophilic nature of social media feeds.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Let’s run through the whole sordid inventory of critters who have had unusual encounters with Kennedy—including denizens of several different animal kingdoms.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In it, the king is expected to discuss the United Kingdom’s relationship with the United States over the last 250 years and how the two nations have worked together to achievements in science, economics, innovation, international security and other fields.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
By March, Ukraine had dispatched more than two hundred military experts to help Persian Gulf nations defend against Iranian drone attacks.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But federal courts have routinely rejected the administration’s efforts in challenges brought by states.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
For example, funds in Gulf states are largely built using oil industry profits.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Monarchies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monarchies. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
