anti-monarchical

IPA/ˌæn.ti.məˈnɑː.kɪ.kəl/
IPA/ˌæn.t̬i.məˈnɑːr.kɪ.kəl/

anti-monarchical — adjective

1. describing a belief that no country should be governed by a monarch, and that po

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a belief that no country should be governed by a monarch, and that political power must not pass down through a royal bloodline

Example

Amara joined an anti-monarchical student group during her first year at university.

collocation: anti-monarchical group

The anti-monarchical pamphlets distributed in the square called for a public vote.

Common collocations
  • anti-monarchical movement
  • anti-monarchical party
  • anti-monarchical sentiment
  • anti-monarchical writings
  • anti-monarchical position
Synonyms
  • anti-monarchist

    nearly identical in meaning but more common; anti-monarchical is slightly more formal

  • anti-royalist

    more personal; implies opposition to a specific royal family rather than the system

  • republican

    specifically supports a republic as the alternative; used for formal political movements

Antonyms
  • monarchist

    directly opposite: supports the continuation of monarchy

  • royalist

    specifically supports a particular royal family or dynasty

Usage Note

Common in political and historical writing; rarely appears in casual speech.

Common Mistakes

He is anti-monarchical to his boss.
He is hostile to his boss.
'anti-monarchical' describes a political position, not general personal opposition.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

The adjectives anti-monarchical, anti-monarchist, anti-royalist, and republican all describe opposition to rule by a monarch, but they differ in scope and tone. Anti-monarchical is the broadest term, covering opposition to the system, the individual ruler, or the principle itself. Anti-monarchist and anti-royalist are more personal — they typically describe someone who opposes a specific monarch or royal family. Republican has a narrower political meaning: it refers specifically to support for a republic as the alternative to monarchy, and is often used for formal political movements. In context, 'anti-monarchical pamphlets were widely read' uses the broadest term, while 'she was a committed republican' signals a specific, structured political position.

anti-monarchist ↗anti-royalist ↗republican ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • anti-monarchical movement
  • anti-monarchical sentiment
  • anti-monarchical party
  • anti-monarchical writings
  • anti-monarchical rhetoric

Adverbs

  • strongly anti-monarchical
  • openly anti-monarchical

Phrases

  • take an anti-monarchical stance

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the prefix anti- (from Greek, meaning 'against') combined with monarchical, which traces back through French and Latin to the Greek monarkhia ('rule by one person'). The term emerged in English political writing during the 17th and 18th centuries, alongside the rise of republican and democratic movements in Europe.

First known use

1633

1633, in the meaning defined above