oligarch

7 synonyms for oligarch, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A very rich businessman who wields political influence, especially one of those who acquired vast state assets in Russia and other post-Soviet countries after 1991.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

baron ruler

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

magnate tycoon plutocrat grandee potentate

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A very rich businessman who wields political influence, especially one of those who acquired vast state assets in Russia and other post-Soviet countries after 1991.

“Sanctions froze the yachts of several Russian oligarchs.”

magnate tycoon plutocrat baron

2. noun

A member of a small group that holds power in a state or organisation.

“Power rested with a handful of oligarchs drawn from the landowning families.”

ruler grandee potentate

How to use oligarch

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

Russian oligarch sanctioned oligarchs oligarch's yacht a class of oligarchs

Always pejorative. Nobody applies it to themselves.

Etymology

From Greek oligarkhes, from oligoi "few" and arkhein "to rule".

Full origin of oligarch →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an oligarch and a billionaire?

A billionaire is defined purely by wealth. An oligarch is defined by the conversion of that wealth into political power, usually with the state's help — the fortune and the influence sustain each other.

Why are Russian businessmen called oligarchs?

The label stuck to the handful of men who took ownership of huge former state enterprises during the privatisations of the 1990s and then exercised open influence over the government. The word has since been extended to comparable figures in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and beyond.

Can an American be an oligarch?

The word is increasingly used that way, in arguments that concentrated wealth translates directly into political power in the United States. It remains a contested and polemical usage rather than a neutral description.

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baron ruler tycoon plutocrat magnate grandee potentate

Nearby words

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