MON'ARCHY, noun [Gr. See Monarch.] 1. A state or government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of a single person. Such a state is usually called an empire or a kingdom; and we usually give this denomination to a large state only. But the same name is sometimes given to a kingdom or state in which the power of the king or supreme magistrate is limited by a constitution, or by fundamental laws. Such is the British monarchy Hence we speak of absolute or despotic monarchies, and of limited monarchies. A free government has a great advantage over a simple monarchy 2. A kingdom; an empire.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI