noun, plural ol·i·gar·chies.
- a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.
- a state or organization so ruled.
- the persons or class so ruling.
noun plural -chies
- government by a small group of people
- a state or organization so governed
- a small body of individuals ruling such a state
- mainly US a small clique of private citizens who exert a strong influence on government
n.1570s, from Middle French oligarchie (14c.), from Greek oligarkhia “government by the few,” from stem of oligos “few, small, little” (see oligo-) + arkhein “to rule” (see archon). A system of government in which power is held by a small group.