The first records of the word plutocratic come from the 1800s. It can also refer to the wealthy class that is using wealth to rule, as in The businessman was accused of being a member of the plutocracy.Įxample: Average citizens are angry because they believe billionaires have created a plutocratic system to benefit themselves and their fellow plutocrats. Plutocracy can also refer to the power that this kind of wealth can allow, as in His latest column explains his belief that the government has been corrupted by plutocracy.
Describing something as plutocratic is a way of pointing out inequality and the powerful influence of the wealthy in politics and government.Ī country that is thought to have a plutocratic government can also be referred to as a plutocracy, as in Many outsiders saw the nation as an oppressive plutocracy. Plutocracy is never used as an official term for a form of government (like democracy is, for example)-it’s almost always applied as a criticism of such situations. In a plutocracy, the plutocrats may be the actual leaders, or they may influence or control the decisions that the leaders make. Plutocratic is typically used to describe systems that resemble or function as plutocracies or the actions of people considered plutocrats. Plutocratic is used to describe things that involve a plutocracy-a government in which wealthy people use their wealth to rule.