Monarch

Monarch

Noun · /ˈmɒn.ək/

Definition

A sovereign head of state, especially a king, queen, or emperor, who typically holds office by hereditary right; in zoology, the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).

Origin

From Old French monarque, from Late Latin monarcha, from Greek monarkhēs (sole ruler), from monos (alone, single) + arkhein (to rule). The Greek root arkhein also gives arch- (chief), archon (a Greek magistrate), anarchy (no ruler), hierarchy (sacred rule), oligarchy (rule of the few), and patriarch (first-father-ruler). The monarch being literally the one-rule or single-ruler — contrasted with oligarchy (rule of few) and democracy (rule of the people). The monarch butterfly was named for its size and regal appearance, as if the king of butterflies.