broligarchy
/broh-LIG-ar-kee/noun
Meaning
A small, influential group of wealthy men—especially technology founders, investors, and executives—whose money, connections, and platforms give them disproportionate control over business, government, or public debate. The word is usually critical or mocking, highlighting the group’s perceived bro culture, male dominance, and indifference to democratic limits.[2][3]
- 1. A group of wealthy tech or finance figures who collectively wield unusual political or economic power.
- 2. A power structure controlled by a small circle of male “bros,” whether in technology, politics, business, or another institution.
- 3. The members of such a group considered collectively, especially when their alliances or influence are the subject of criticism.
Examples
“The broligarchy is treating public policy like a startup pitch.”
“Everyone in that room answers to the broligarchy.”
“This app has major broligarchy energy.”
“Critics say the broligarchy wants the power of government without the accountability.”
“The broligarchy bought the platform, then called it free speech.”
Origin and spread
Broligarchy is a portmanteau of bro and oligarchy. The earliest located modern-sense record is a December 7, 2009, Twitter post, although its context is unclear. A 2011 user-generated entry and a 2014 blog glossary show that the word circulated online before appearing regularly in mainstream political commentary. Some linguistic accounts report an earlier surfer-community use for a group of bros controlling a surf break, but that possible precursor is not firmly established as the source of the modern tech-political sense. The term became broadly visible in 2024, especially through commentary about wealthy technology figures seeking political influence during the U.S. presidential election period.[1][4]
How to use it
Broligarchy is informal, pointed, and usually disapproving. It is most natural in political commentary, opinion writing, memes, and online criticism of wealthy male tech networks. It does not simply mean “people who work in tech”: the word implies concentrated power, elite access, and a bro-coded or male-dominated social style. Use tech oligarchy when a more neutral or formal description is needed.
Sources
- 1. Wordorigins.org — broligarchySupports: earliest documented use, origin.
- 2. The Atlantic — The Broligarchs Are Trying to Have Their WaySupports: meaning.
- 3. The Atlantic — What the Broligarchs Want from TrumpSupports: meaning.
- 4. Brooke Harrington — Elites & Oligarchs archiveSupports: origin.
