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plutocracy
[ploo-tok-ruh-see]
noun
plural
plutocraciesthe rule or power of wealth or of the wealthy.
a government or state in which the wealthy class rules.
a class or group ruling, or exercising power or influence, by virtue of its wealth.
plutocracy
/ ˌpluːtəˈkrætɪk, pluːˈtɒkrəsɪ /
noun
the rule or control of society by the wealthy
a state or government characterized by the rule of the wealthy
a class that exercises power by virtue of its wealth
plutocracy
Government by the rich. The term is usually one of reproach.
Other Word Forms
- plutocratic adjective
- ˌܳٴˈپ adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of plutocracy1
Word History and Origins
Origin of plutocracy1
Example Sentences
In his newsletter, historian Timothy Snyder offered the following critique of the logic of “free market” orthodoxy and how Bezos’ decision is doing the work of authoritarianism and plutocracy:
By the very nature of how power is concentrated around the Leader and their inner circle, autocracies and authoritarian regimes are almost always kleptocracies and plutocracies.
The new America that is in the process of being born will be a 21st-century American apartheid and White Christofascist plutocracy and kleptocracy.
Trump’s plan to end America’s multiracial pluralistic democracy and replace it with a form of autocracy and a White Christian nationalist plutocracy is literally torn from the pages of Project 2025.
They want to return the United States to the Gilded Age — if not before — as they transform the country into a new apartheid Christofascist plutocracy.
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When To Use
Plutocracy is a term for a government in which wealthy people use their wealth to rule.This can mean that wealthy people are the actual leaders, or that they influence or control the decisions that the leaders make. Plutocracy is never used as an official term for a form of government (like democracy is, for example)—it’s almost always applied as a criticism of such situations. It is frequently used as a way of pointing out inequality and the powerful influence of the wealthy in politics and government.A country that is thought to have a plutocratic government can also be referred to as a plutocracy, as in Many outsiders saw the nation as an oppressive plutocracy. Plutocracy can also refer to the power that this kind of wealth can allow, as in His latest column explains his belief that the government has been corrupted by plutocracy. It can also refer to the wealthy class that is using wealth to rule, as in The businessman was accused of being a member of the plutocracy. A wealthy person who rules or influences leaders in a plutocracy can be called a plutocrat.Example: Average citizens are angry because they believe billionaires have turned the government into a plutocracy to benefit themselves.
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