hagiocracyn.
/ˌhaɡɪˈɒkrəsi/, /ˌheɪdʒɪˈɒkrəsi/, U.S. /ˌhæɡiˈɑkrəsi/, /ˌheɪdʒiˈɑkrəsi/, /ˌheɪɡiˈɑkrəsi/ A government consisting of saints or holy people; (also) government or rule of this type. Cf. hagiarchy n. at hagio- comb. form .
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > rule of any class or persons > [noun] > of holy persons
hagiocracy1816
1816 Q. Rev. July 315 Hitherto this sort of hagiocracy, or vice-royalty of the saints, which they have established, has produced good to the people.
1874 J. E. Carpenter tr. H. Ewald Hist. Israel V. 198 The internal weakness..of the hagiocracy [Ger. Heiligherrschaft] already betrays itself in the one small but significant circumstance of its treatment of the name of God.
1968 C. Geertz Islam Observed ii. 31 A proliferation of zealous, insular, intensely competitive hagiocracies.
2014 D. Farr Major-Gen. T. Harrison Concl. 251 Fifth Monarchists became more clearly defined and more vocal and active in calls for a hagiocracy.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2021; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1816