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Glite Dictionary
hierocracy

hierocracy

9.9
A government run by religious leaders like priests
  • noun
  • /ˌhaɪəˈrɒkrəsi/
translation icon : hierocracia
  • In a hierocracy, the clergy often dictate laws based on religious texts and beliefs.

Examples

  • During the hierocracy, decisions regarding the community were made exclusively by religious leaders.

  • The city's hierocracy faced criticism for limiting civil rights under the guise of religious authority.

  • Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979, would embrace this policy in his efforts to mend governmental relations with the hierocracy.

    Academic text (2004)

  • By engaging minority groups with their own symbolism and religious discourse, the Bahá'ís represented an inviting alternative to the dominant Sh' hierocracy.

    Academic text (2004)

Synonyms

theocracy
vshierocracy
24 7.7

Religious leaders run a country and say they rule by God's will

does not need claims of divine authority, centering on clergy political control
church-state
vshierocracy
1 8.3

A country run by religious leaders where laws come from a religion

emphasizes direct rule by clergy rather than formal state religion links
ecclesiarchy
vshierocracy
  • Specialized
9.9

A system where church leaders control the government

focuses more on rule by ordained clergy as individual political actors

How Clerical

hierocracy
9.9
theocracy
24 7.7
secularism
16 6.8

Surface Forms

hierocracy singular
hierocracies plural

Morphology

hierocracy = hiero + cracy

The word is built from the classical elements 'hiero' and '-cracy', but those components are not transparent to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The word hierocracy comes from Greek parts hiero- meaning 'sacred' or 'priest' and -ocracy meaning 'rule', like in theocracy. Think of it as 'priests in charge', which is why it means rule by religious leaders.