Choose the correct one-word substitute for: 'A government or state in which those in power exploit national resources and steal'.

Correct — D. Kleptocracy is government by those who use power to steal: rulers who exploit national resources for themselves.

The word is built from Greek kleptes, thief, and -cracy, rule. Rule by thieves fits the definition exactly → option (d).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Plutocracy — Plutocracy is government by the wealthy, from Greek ploutos, wealth. It says the rulers are rich, not that they steal national resources.
• (b)
  Kleptomania — Kleptomania shares the thief root but ends in -mania. It is a recurrent urge to steal, a disorder of one person, not a form of government.
• (c)
  Oligarchy — Oligarchy is rule by a small group, from Greek oligos, few. It counts the rulers without saying they steal, so the definition's theft goes unanswered.

Names for forms of government are easiest to read in two halves. The ending says it is a system of rule, and the beginning says who rules.

The endings -cracy and -archy both mean rule: democracy, bureaucracy, monarchy, oligarchy.

The beginning names the ruler. Klepto- means thief, pluto- wealth, oligo- few. The definition stresses stealing, so klepto- plus -cracy gives the answer.

Key facts

• Kleptocracy comes from Greek kleptes, thief, plus -cracy, rule.
• Plutocracy is government by the wealthy, from Greek ploutos, wealth.
• Oligarchy is rule by a small group, from Greek oligos, few.
• Kleptomania is a recurrent urge to steal, not a form of government.

Common traps

• Grabbing Kleptomania because it carries the thief root, without reading the -mania ending
• Choosing Plutocracy because the rulers in the definition grow rich, when plutocracy names rule by the already wealthy, not theft

No directly related past PYQ was found.