absolute monarchy

One ruler, unlimited

Absolute monarchy is a system of government in which a single ruler—king, queen, emperor—holds unlimited power unchecked by constitution, legislature, or other institutions.

The monarch's word is law.

Historical examples include Louis XIV's France and the Russian tsars.

Few absolute monarchies remain today; Saudi Arabia is often cited as one.

dynasty

succession

Following in order

lineageDescent from progenitors
bloodlineAncestry through generations
heirOne who receives legacy

throne · coronation · crown prince · primogeniture · royal house · ancestry · descendant · reign · hereditary rule · birthright

court

palace

Monarch's official residence

courtierRoyal household attendant
nobilityTitled ruling class
aristocracyRule by hereditary elite

duke · duchess · prince · princess · noble · regalia · scepter · crown · royal household · privy council

ruler

autocrat

Sole wielder of power

despotRuler with absolute power
tyrantCruel, absolute ruler
kingMale crowned ruler

queen · emperor · empress · czar · sultan · shah · pharaoh · kaiser · sovereign · potentate

authority

despotism

Absolute one-person rule

tyrannyOppressive, absolute governance
dictatorshipUnchecked single-ruler government
totalitarianismState controls everything absolutely

authoritarianism · autocracy · rule by decree · centralization · supreme authority · dominion · sovereignty · omnipotence · divine right · unlimited power

governance

kingdom

Monarch's ruled territory

realmGoverned territory or sphere
empireDomain under unified control
dominionAuthority to rule

decree · edict · fiat · royal treasury · taxation · conscription · feudalism · vassalage · fiefdom · state religion

absolute monarchy

succession

palace

autocrat

despotism

kingdom

absolute monarchy

Opposites

Categories

Family