tetrarchy

1 9.9

A group of four people who share power in government

noun
/ˈtɛtrɑrki/

: tetrarquía

But without the strong presence of Diocletian, the Tetrarchy fell apart and Rome and the Empire were once again plunged into civil war.

Examples

Jordan and Galilee will be your tetrarchy.

The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
Jordan and Galilee will be your tetrarchy.

The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
The Roman Empire was divided into a tetrarchy, with four leaders managing different regions.
In the ancient world, a tetrarchy allowed for shared governance among four rulers to maintain stability.
The concept of tetrarchy emerged to balance power during times of political turmoil.

Synonyms

oligarchy

vstetrarchy

16 8.9

A small group of people who have most power in a country or organization

is limited to exactly four people sharing power rather than any small group

Surface Forms

tetrarchy singular

tetrarchies plural

Morphology

tetrarchy = tetra- + -archy (semi-transparent) = tetra + archy

The components 'tetra-' (four) and '-archy' (rule) combine to give the literal meaning 'rule by four', but both combining forms are relatively technical and not fully obvious to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Tetrarchy comes from Greek parts tetra- 'four' and -archy 'rule'. So, it means 'rule by four', which explains why a tetrarchy is a system where four people or groups share power.