the government of a nation having dominion over large expanses of the seas
Word origin
C19: from Attic Greek thalassocratia, from thalassa sea + -cracy
thalassocracy in American English
(ˌθæləˈsɑkrəsi)
nounWord forms: plural-cies
dominion over the seas, as in exploration, trade, or colonization
Word origin
[1840–50; thalasso- + -cracy]This word is first recorded in the period 1840–50. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: colloid, layout, pylon, sensationalism, set piece-cracy is a combining form occurring in loanwords from Greek (aristocracy; democracy). On this model, -cracy is used, with the meaning “rule,” “government,” “governing body,” to form abstractnouns from stems of other origin. Other words that use the affix -cracy include: bureaucracy, mobocracy