oligarchy

/ˈɑːlɪɡɑːrki/
noun
  1. A form of government in which a small group of people holds all the power.
    • Citizens protested against the oligarchy that controlled the government.
    • Many ancient Greek city-states were oligarchies, not democracies.
    • The country was ruled by an oligarchy of wealthy landowners.
  2. A small group of people who have control over a country, organization, or industry.
    • A powerful oligarchy of bankers made all the major financial decisions.
    • Critics say the media is controlled by a corporate oligarchy.
    • The company was run by an oligarchy of founding families.
Antonyms
What does "oligarchy" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean