1. government by five rulers
2. a group of five rulers or leaders
3. the five patriarchates of the early Christian church (Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem)
Usage: historical; Christianity

Examples

• The ancient pentarchy ruled the empire with shared authority.
• Each member of the pentarchy controlled a different region.
• The Byzantine pentarchy represented the five major centers of Christian authority.
• Historians debate the effectiveness of pentarchy as a form of government.
• The pentarchy system lasted for several centuries in the early church.
• Political theorists studied the pentarchy as an alternative to monarchy.