Absolute monarchies

Definition

Absolute monarchies are a form of government where a single ruler, usually a king or queen, has complete and unrestricted power over all aspects of the state. The monarch's authority is not limited by any laws or opposition.

Related terms

Divine Right of Kings: The belief that monarchs receive their power directly from God and are responsible only to God for their actions.

Constitutional Monarchy: A system of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government.

Autocracy: A system of government in which supreme power is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control