1. plural of oligarchy; governments or states ruled by a small group of people

Examples

• Many ancient city-states were oligarchies controlled by wealthy families.
• The professor compared different oligarchies throughout history.
• Some critics argue that certain modern nations function as oligarchies despite democratic institutions.
• The book examines how oligarchies maintain power across generations.
• Students studied the rise and fall of various oligarchies in their political science class.
• Economic oligarchies often concentrate wealth among a few powerful individuals.