monarchy

noun, plural mon·ar·chies.

1. a state or nation in which the supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch.Compare absolute monarchy, limited monarchy.
2. supreme power or sovereignty held by a single person.

noun plural -chies

1. a form of government in which supreme authority is vested in a single and usually hereditary figure, such as a king, and whose powers can vary from those of an absolute despot to those of a figurehead
2. a country reigned over by a king, prince, or other monarch

n.“state ruled by monarchical government,” mid-14c.; “rule by one person,” late 14c.; from Old French monarchie “sovereignty, absolute power” (13c.), from Late Latin monarchia, from Greek monarkhia “absolute rule,” literally “ruling of one,” from monos “alone” (see mono-) + arkhein “to rule” (see archon). A system of government in which one person reigns, usually a king or queen. The authority, or crown, in a monarchy is generally inherited. The ruler, or monarch, is often only the head of state, not the head of government. Many monarchies, such as Britain and Denmark, are actually governed by parliaments. (See absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy.)