plu·toc·ra·cy (plū-tŏk'rə-sē)
n., pl., -cies.

1. Government by the wealthy.
2. A wealthy class that controls a government.
3. A government or state in which the wealthy rule.

[Greek ploutokratiā : ploutos, wealth + -kratiā, -cracy.]

plutocrat plu'to·crat' (plū'tə-krăt') n.
plutocratic plu'to·crat'ic or plu'to·crat'i·cal adj.
plutocratically plu'to·crat'i·cal·ly adv.

---

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

---