totalitarianism

noun

to·​tal·​i·​tar·​i·​an·​ism (ˌ)tō-ˌta-lə-ˈter-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce totalitarianism (audio)
1
: centralized control by an autocratic authority
2
: the political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority

Examples of totalitarianism in a Sentence

in times of crisis, when a nation's people are frightened, there are often calls for totalitarianism
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Time’s Echo by Jeremy Eichler Using four studies from the Second World War era—Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Benjamin Britten—this book contends with how music memorializes catastrophes and deals with totalitarianism, which may feel a bit on the nose right now. The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2025 And this particular slide into totalitarianism is a rather recent development (which gives one hope that it could be reversed). Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2025 With the help of grants from Jewish groups, social psychologists, sociologists, and other scholars investigated how antisemitism was connected to totalitarianism, religion and other forms of racial and ethnic stereotyping. Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025 This episode shows that—although China has never had a U.S.-style constitution—Beijing moved away from Maoist totalitarianism under Deng, thereby instilling a sense of security and confidence among Chinese entrepreneurs. Yasheng Huang, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2023 See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of totalitarianism was in 1926

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Cite this Entry

“Totalitarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totalitarianism. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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