Google searches pondering the meaning of the word "oligarchy" soared in the wake of President Joe Biden’s farewell speech after he warned about the gaggle of elites holding all political power. Biden, 82, who will of course be replaced by Donald Trump in just a few days, spoke from the Oval Office in front of members of his family as well as his Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, and said: “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedom and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.” In the aftermath of the sternly-worded White House address, Google searches for the word’s meaning spiked, jumping from a score of one to 100 on the platform’s scale. According to Google Trends, the top search was for “oligarchy definition,” while “oligarchy meaning” followed. Merriam Webster’s definition for oligarchy is “a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes.”
