In this case, the best way to identify the meaning of the word is by looking at the word root. Monocracy consists of the root "mono," which means "one," and "kratos," which means "rule." This is shared by many words related to government, such as <em>aristocracy</em>, <em>autocracy</em>, <em>democracy</em> and <em>meritocracy</em>. Knowing some basic word roots can allow us to more easily identify the meaning of an unknown word.