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Monarchy vs Principality - What's the difference?

monarchy | principality |

As nouns the difference between monarchy and principality

is that 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) while principality is the state of being a prince or ruler; sovereignty, absolute authority.

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

    ----

    principality

    English

    Noun

    (principalities)
  • (obsolete) The state of being a prince or ruler; sovereignty, absolute authority.
  • A region or sovereign nation headed by a prince or princess.
  • * 1990 , (Peter Hopkirk), The Great Game , Folio Society 2010, p. 14:
  • At this time Russia consisted of a dozen or so principalities , which were frequently at war with one another.
  • (theology) A spiritual being, specifically in Christian angelology, the fifth level of angels, ranked above powers and below dominions.
  • See also

    * choirs of angels * dominion * power