Monocracy describes a government by a single person, combining Greek roots for 'alone' and 'form of government'.
Monocracy is a form of government by a single person. The term combines 'monos' (alone) with '-cracy' (form of government).
| Word | monocracy |
|---|---|
| Date | July 24, 2007 |
| Type | noun |
| Syllables | muh-NAH-kruh-see |
| Etymology | In society's search for the best kind of government, the suffix "-cracy" (which means "form of government" and traces to the Greek "kratos," meaning "strength" or "power") has worn many hats. "Monocracy" pairs "-cracy" with a descendant of "monos," meaning "alone" or "single." The suffix also underlies other governmental terms including "democracy" ("government by the people"), "aristocracy" ("government by a small privileged class"), "theocracy" ("government by divine guidance"), "ochlocracy" ("government by the mob"), and "gerontocracy" ("rule by elders"). |
| Examples | After years of subjugation, the citizens of the country rose up against the oppressive monocracy. |
| Definition | : government by a single person |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Meaning extirpate roots word pull latin july verb
Previous card: Caducity meaning perishable nature july noun kuh-doo-suh-tee derives
Up to card list: Word of the Day