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Anarchy vs Monarchy - What's the difference?

anarchy | monarchy |

As nouns the difference between anarchy and monarchy

is that anarchy is the state of a society being without authorities or an authoritative governing body while monarchy is a government in which sovereignty is embodied within a single, today usually hereditary head of state (whether as a figurehead or as a powerful ruler).

anarchy

English

(wikipedia anarchy)

Noun

  • (uncountable) The state of a society being without authorities or an authoritative governing body.
  • (uncountable) Anarchism]]; the political theory that a community is best [[organize, organized by the voluntary cooperation of individuals, rather than by a government, which is regarded as being coercive by nature.
  • (countable) A chaotic and confusing absence of any form of political authority or government.
  • Confusion in general; disorder.

    • Usage notes

    * (confusion or misunderstanding in general) Anarchists feel it is inappropriate to use anarchy to mean “a state of chaos or confusion”. However, this has historically been a common use of the word. * (English Citations of "anarchy")

    Synonyms

    * see

    Antonyms

    * (all senses) nonanarchy (rare) * (disorder) order

    Derived terms

    * anarchic * anarchical * anarchically * anarchism * anarchist * anarcho- English words suffixed with -archy

    monarchy

    English

    (wikipedia monarchy)

    Noun

    (monarchies)
  • A government in which sovereignty is embodied within a single, today usually hereditary head of state (whether as a figurehead or as a powerful ruler).
  • * An absolute monarchy is a monarchy where the monarch is legally the ultimate authority in all temporal matters.
  • * A constitutional monarchy is a monarchy in which the monarch's power is legally constrained, ranging from where minor concessions have been made to appease certain factions to where the monarch is a figurehead with all real power in the hands of a legislative body.
  • The territory ruled over by a monarch; a kingdom.
  • * Shakespeare
    • What scourge for perjury / Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?
  • A form of government where sovereignty is embodied by a single ruler in a state and his high aristocracy representing their separate divided lands within the state and their low aristocracy representing their separate divided fiefs.

    • Usage notes

    Historically refers to a wide variety of systems with a single, nominally absolute ruler (compare (m), (m)), today primarily refers to and connotes a traditional, hereditary position, often with mainly symbolic power. Typically used of rulers who use the terms (m)/(m) or (m)/(m).

    Synonyms

    * autocracy * despotism * dictatorship * tyranny

    Coordinate terms

    See also

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