A suffix meaning 'rule' or 'system of government,' used in words like monarchy, hierarchy, and anarchy to describe different forms of power.
From Greek 'arkhia' meaning 'rule' or 'sovereignty,' derived from 'arkhos' (ruler, chief); this root has been productive in English for over 500 years, creating dozens of political vocabulary words.
The suffix '-archy' is like a linguistic building block that lets you instantly understand any government system—add it to any root and you've got a political concept: 'mono' (one) + 'archy' = one ruler.
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