plutocrat
- noun
- /ˈpluːtəˌkræt/
- The annual gala attracted numerous plutocrats eager to flaunt their wealth and power.
- aristocrats and plutocrats
Examples
-
Many critics argue that the influence of wealthy plutocrats on politics undermines democracy.
-
Journalist Chrystia Freeland has profiled them in her book, Plutocrats: The Rise of the New.
Blog text (6) -
I believe America will vote for salvation from the plutocrats in 2012.
Blog text (2) -
However, at least the often-maligned plutocrats of the business world have real money and wealth.
Blog text (13) -
The days when plutocrats were a force to be reckoned with in American society, economically or politically, seemed long past.
Academic text (2004) -
The blame for this situation lies entirely with the predatory plutocrats pigging out on the fruits of other people's labor.
Academic text (2010) -
In a society dominated by plutocrats, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen.
Synonyms
A very rich and powerful person who is part of a small group that controls a country or organization
A very rich and powerful person who owns or controls big companies
A very rich and powerful person who controls a large business or industry
A very rich and powerful person who owns or runs large businesses
A rich, powerful person who seems greedy and has too much power
A very rich and powerful person who owns or controls much of a country's oil industry
Antonyms
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
plutocrat = plutocracy (opaque) = plut + crat
If a learner knows 'plutocracy' they can infer that a 'plutocrat' is a person associated with rule by the wealthy, but the bound elements 'plut-' and '-crat' are not standalone English morphemes for most learners.
Etymology
The word plutocrat comes from the Greek root ploutos meaning 'wealth' and the part -krat meaning 'rule', like in democracy ('rule by the people'). So, a plutocrat is a person who has power because of great money.