| A | B |
|---|
| constitution government | government whose power is defined and limited by law |
| cabinet | parliamentary advisors to the king who originally met in a small room, or cabinet |
| oligarchy | government in which the ruling power belongs to a few people |
| absolute monarch | a ruler who has complete authority over the government and lives of the people he or she governs |
| divine right | idea that a ruler's authority came directly from God |
| armada | fleet of ships |
| intendant | official appointed by French king Louis XIV to govern the provinces, collect taxes, and recruit soldiers |
| balance of power | distribution of military and economic power that prevents any one nation from becoming too strong |
| mercenary | soldier serving in a foreign country for pay |
| depopulation | reduction in the number of people in an area |
| westernization | adoption of western ideas, technology, and culture |
| boyar | landowning noble in Russia under the tsars |
| warm-water port | port that is free of ice year round |
| autocrat | leader with unlimited power |
| partition | a division into pieces |
| dissenter | Protestant whose views and opinions differed from those of the Church of England |
| limited monarchy | government in which a constitution of legislative body limits the monarch's powers |
