authoritarian
adjective
au·thor·i·tar·i·an
ȯ-ˌthȯr-ə-ˈter-ē-ən 
ə-,
-ˌthär-
1
: of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority
had authoritarian parents
2
: of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people
an authoritarian regime
authoritarian
noun
Synonyms
Examples of authoritarian in a Sentence
grew up with an authoritarian older sister who thought she was queen of the world
an authoritarian coach who runs football practice like it's boot camp
Recent Examples on the Web
And, the Democratic argument goes, Trump is unfit to lead because of his lies about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and his consistent authoritarian rhetoric, among other things.
—
L'oreal Thompson Payton, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2024
Historically, fascism is a far-right, authoritarian political ideology often associated with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who rose to power after World War I and coined the term in 1919 to describe his political movement.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 16 Oct. 2024
Reagan, too, was vilified and feared in his day, seen as the reductio ad absurdum of the culture of the image, an automaton projecting his controllers’ authoritarian impulses.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
The last thing Americans want is to lose our superior access to new therapies and the biotech innovation race to the world’s most powerful and ambitious authoritarian regime.
—Ge Bai, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for authoritarian 
L'oreal Thompson Payton, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2024
Historically, fascism is a far-right, authoritarian political ideology often associated with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who rose to power after World War I and coined the term in 1919 to describe his political movement.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 16 Oct. 2024
Reagan, too, was vilified and feared in his day, seen as the reductio ad absurdum of the culture of the image, an automaton projecting his controllers’ authoritarian impulses.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
The last thing Americans want is to lose our superior access to new therapies and the biotech innovation race to the world’s most powerful and ambitious authoritarian regime.
—Ge Bai, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for authoritarian
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'authoritarian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near authoritarian
Cite this Entry
“Authoritarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarian. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
authoritarian
adjective
au·thor·i·tar·i·an
ȯ-ˌthär-ə-ˈter-ē-ən
ə-,
-ˌthȯr-
1
: expecting strict obedience to one's authority
had authoritarian parents
2
: based on the principle that the leaders and not the people have the final authority
an authoritarian state
authoritarian
noun
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