Meanings
autarchy1
plural autarchies
- countableuncountablegovernmentAutocracy (absolute rule by a single person).
Like Philip's, Franco's autarchy was shrouded in religiosity—not Christianity alone, but also a sort of dim Wagnerian vision of hero-gods and Valhallas, a gloomy level of devotion on which paganism, Catholicism and the apotheosis of the State could conveniently be mingled.
1964, Jan Morris, “Envoi: State of Being”, in Spain, Faber and Faber, published 2008, →ISBN - countableuncountablegovernmentSovereignty or self-government (national political independence).
Synonyms: government
autarchy2
plural autarchies
- alternativecountableuncountableAlternative spelling of autarky (“personal condition or state of self-reliance; (policy of) national economic self-sufficiency; self-sufficient country or region”).
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSovereignty or self-government (national political independence).
More synonyms by meaning
nouna political system governed by a single individual
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
autarchy · noun
- Koine Greekαὐταρχία“absolute power, sovereignty, autocracy”
- Medieval Latinautarchia
- Englishautarchy
From Medieval Latin autarchia, from Koine Greek αὐταρχία (autarkhía, “absolute power, sovereignty, autocracy”), from αὔταρχος (aútarkhos, “autocratic”), from αὐτ- (aut-, “self”) + ἄρχω (árkhō, “to rule, govern”).
More words from Medieval Latin, Koine Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian авта́рхия
- авта́рхия (avtárhija)condition of absolute power
Catalan autarquia
- autarquiacondition of absolute power
Chinese Mandarin 專制 /专制, 封閉經濟 /封闭经济
- 專制 /专制 (zhuānzhì)condition of absolute power
- 封閉經濟 /封闭经济 (fēngbì jīngjì)condition of economic self-sufficiency
Finnish itsevaltius, omavaraisuus
- itsevaltiuscondition of absolute power
- omavaraisuuscondition of economic self-sufficiency
- autarkiacondition of economic self-sufficiency
French autarchie
- autarchiecondition of absolute power
German Autarkie
- Autarkiecondition of absolute power
Irish átarcacht
- átarcachtcondition of absolute power
Italian autarchia
- autarchiacondition of absolute power
Japanese 専制
- 専制 (sensei)condition of absolute power
Korean 전제
- 전제 (jeonje)condition of absolute power
Polish autarchia, autokratyzm
- autarchiacondition of absolute power
- autokratyzmcondition of absolute power
- jednowładztwocondition of absolute power
- jedynowładztwocondition of absolute power
- samowładztwocondition of absolute power
- autokracjacondition of absolute power
Portuguese autarquia
- autarquiacondition of absolute power
Russian автарки́я, автокра́тия
- автарки́я (avtarkíja)condition of absolute power
- автокра́тия (avtokrátija)condition of absolute power
Spanish autarquía, autarcía
- autarquíacondition of absolute power
- autarcíacondition of absolute power
Turkish otarşi
- otarşicondition of economic self-sufficiency
Ukrainian авта́ркія, автаркі́я
- авта́ркія (avtárkija)condition of absolute power
- автаркі́я (avtarkíja)condition of absolute power
Rhymes & wordplay
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
autarchy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autarchy
“autarchy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autarchy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autarchy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autarchy.
Source: autarchy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.