different between monarchy vs duchess

English

Etymology

From Old French monarchie, from Late Latin monarchia, from Ancient Greek ???????? (monarkhía), from ????? (mónos, “only”) + ???? (arkh?, “power, authority”). Surface analysis: mon- (“one”, “single”) +? -archy (“rule”, “command”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?n?ki/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?n?ki/
• Hyphenation: mon?ar?chy

Noun

monarchy (countable and uncountable, plural monarchies)

1. 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.

2. The territory ruled over by a monarch; a kingdom.
3. 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.
4. States based on a system of governance headed by a king or a queen.

Usage notes

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

Synonyms

• (rule): See Thesaurus:government
• (state): kingdom

Coordinate terms

• See Thesaurus:government

Related terms

• monarch
• monarchic

Translations

See also

• Category:en:Monarchy

Anagrams

• nomarchy

Polish

Noun

monarchy

1. genitive singular of monarcha

English

Alternative forms

• dutchess (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English duchesse, from Old French duchesse.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?t???s/, /?d?t???s/

Noun

duchess (plural duchesses)

1. The wife or widow of a duke.
   • 2012, Caroline Davies, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announce they are expecting first baby (in The Guardian, 3 December 2012)[1]

     The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have ended months of intense speculation by announcing they are expecting their first child, but were forced to share their news earlier than hoped because of the Duchess's admission to hospital on Monday.

2. The female ruler of a duchy.

Derived terms

Related terms

• duchesse lace, duchesse
• duchesse potatoes

Translations

Verb

duchess (third-person singular simple present duchesses, present participle duchessing, simple past and past participle duchessed)

1. (Australia, informal) to court or curry favour for political or business advantage; to flatter obsequiously.
   • 1996, Shane Maloney, The Brush-Off, 2003, page 46,

     ‘A word to the wise, Murray. Those wogs you?ve been duchessing at Ethnic Affairs have got nothing on the culture vultures. Tear the flesh right off your bones, they will.’

   • 2004, Humphrey McQueen, A New Britannia, Fourth Edition, page 66,

     The traditional version of Hughes? decision to introduce conscription gives central importance to his visit to London in April 1916 where it is alleged he was duchessed and deceived concerning recruitment figures.