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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.
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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
The rise of autocratic regimes across the world over the last decade and a half has put democrats on high alert.
—
Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024
By Michael Schuman The revelation that North Korean troops have been gathering in Russia, ostensibly to assist President Vladimir Putin in his brutal invasion of Ukraine, has stoked Western fears of autocratic states banding together to undermine the interests of democracies.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024
In the 2010s, with Europe flattering on the brink of collapse, and U.S. going through various phases of social upheaval with the #metoo or BLM movements, the appeal of strongmen running autocratic regimes became all too obvious.
—Vuk Vukovic, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024
The response reflected Trump’s ongoing embrace of autocratic leaders.
—Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 10 Sep. 2024
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Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024
By Michael Schuman The revelation that North Korean troops have been gathering in Russia, ostensibly to assist President Vladimir Putin in his brutal invasion of Ukraine, has stoked Western fears of autocratic states banding together to undermine the interests of democracies.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024
In the 2010s, with Europe flattering on the brink of collapse, and U.S. going through various phases of social upheaval with the #metoo or BLM movements, the appeal of strongmen running autocratic regimes became all too obvious.
—Vuk Vukovic, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024
The response reflected Trump’s ongoing embrace of autocratic leaders.
—Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for autocratic
Dictionary Entries Near autocratic
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocratic. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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autocratic
adjective
au·to·crat·ic
ˌȯt-ə-ˈkrat-ik 
: of, relating to, or resembling autocracy or an autocrat
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