Anarchist

How to spell anarchist

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce anarchist

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does anarchist mean?

1. nounA person who believes that all forms of government and authority should be abolished.
2. adjectiveRelating to or characteristic of those who reject all government and authority.

Anarchist in a sentence

• noun

  The young anarchist argued that no state should hold power over its citizens.

• adjective

  The pamphlet promoted anarchist ideas about abolishing the police.

• noun

  Police questioned the suspected anarchist after the protest turned violent.

• adjective

  The band built its reputation on loud, anarchist lyrics about smashing the system.

Where does anarchist come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek anarkhos, which literally meant 'without a ruler', formed from the prefix an- meaning 'without' and arkhos meaning 'ruler' or 'leader'. The same arkhos root that means 'ruler' or 'chief' also sits inside familiar words such as 'monarch' (a sole ruler) and 'hierarchy', which helps explain why the spelling keeps the 'ch' even though it is pronounced like a hard 'k'. The Greek abstract noun anarkhia, meaning 'absence of government', passed into Latin and then into French as anarchie, and the agent form anarchiste developed there in the eighteenth century. English borrowed 'anarchist' in the late 1500s and used it through the political upheavals of the following centuries to name someone who rejects or seeks to abolish organised government. Remembering the buried Greek arkhos, 'ruler', is the surest way to keep that tricky silent-looking 'ch' in place.

How the word is built

• an- (without)
• arch (from Greek arkhos: ruler, leader)
• -ist (one who follows or practises)