comparative - the comparative form of an adjective or adverb; `faster' is the comparative of the adjective `fast'; `less famous' is the comparative degree of the adjective `famous'; `more surely' is the comparative of the adverb `surely'
In their torture chamber conversations, he tells Winston that The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, the book by Emmanuel Goldstein, was written by a committee that included him. When Winston asks O'Brien if the book is true, he replies: As description, yes.
Such states are often controlled by a few prominent families who typically pass their influence from one generation to the next, but inheritance is not a necessary condition for the application of this term. Throughout history, oligarchies have often been tyrannical, relying on public obedience or oppression to exist. Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which another term commonly used today is plutocracy.