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The combining form -archy is used like a suffix meaning “rule” or “government.” It is often used in technical terms, especially in sociology.

The form -archy comes from Greek -archŧ��, meaning “rule, government.”

What are variants of -archy?

While -archy doesn’t have any variants, it is related to the form , as in matriarch. Want to know more? Read our �������t¶��s That Use article for -arch.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -archy ������matriarchy, “a family, society, community, or state governed by women.”

Matri- is a form that means “mother,” from Latin ����ٱ��, while the -archy portion of the word means “government.” Matriarchy literally translates to “government by mothers.”

What are some words that use the equivalent of the combining form -archy in Greek?

• exarchy
• monarchy
• oligarchy
• patriarchy
• tetrarchy

What are some other forms that -archy may be commonly confused with?

• -ard
• -arian
• -ary

The combining form mon- means “alone, single.” With this in mind, what does monarchy literally mean?