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Autos in Greek means "same" or "self", so in an autocratic government all the power is held by the leader him- or herself. Autocratic governments are often called dictatorships, or sometimes autocracies. In everyday life, a teacher, a parent, or a football coach can all behave like autocrats as well.
Examples of autocratic in a Sentence
democracy is supposed to protect the people against the rise of autocratic rulers
an autocratic Boy Scout leader who is under the delusion that he's still an army colonel
Recent Examples on the Web
Venezuelans have been living under the autocratic regime of Nicolás Maduro for more than a decade amid runaway inflation, worsening poverty and widespread political persecution, according to the Washington Office on Latin America., a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C.
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Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
Venezuela’s autocratic demagogue held a 2007 referendum to re-write the Constitution.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
Some see the speculation over a third term as part of an ominous, autocratic push by the president.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2025
But today, the most important political cleft is not the fading distinction between right and left, but the rising conflict between liberal and illiberal, democratic and autocratic.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
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Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
Venezuela’s autocratic demagogue held a 2007 referendum to re-write the Constitution.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
Some see the speculation over a third term as part of an ominous, autocratic push by the president.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2025
But today, the most important political cleft is not the fading distinction between right and left, but the rising conflict between liberal and illiberal, democratic and autocratic.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocratic. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
autocratic
adjective
au·to·crat·ic
ˌȯt-ə-ˈkrat-ik 
: of, relating to, or resembling autocracy or an autocrat
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