dictatorship

noun

dic·​ta·​tor·​ship dik-ˈtā-tər-ˌship 

ˈdik-ˌtā-

1

: the office of dictator

2

: autocratic rule, control, or leadership

people suffering under his dictatorship

3

a

: a form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or a small clique

Communism and dictatorship

b

: a government organization or group in which absolute power is so concentrated

rising up against a military dictatorship

c

: a despotic state

establishing a dictatorship

Synonyms

• absolutism
• autarchy
• authoritarianism
• autocracy
• Caesarism
• czarism
• tsarism
• tzarism
• despotism
• totalism
• totalitarianism
• tyranny

Examples of dictatorship in a Sentence

The country suffered for many years under his dictatorship.

His enemies accused him of establishing a dictatorship.

Recent Examples on the Web

Older generations lived under the violent military dictatorships of the nineteen-sixties, seventies, and eighties, and young people are aware of this legacy. —E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024

Of 5,000 people held at the school during the dictatorship, fewer than 250 survived. —Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024

Yoon's late-evening announcement marked the first time such a declaration had been made in South Korea since 1980 when the country was still under military dictatorship. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

When Salles returned to Brazil in 1969, the country was under a military dictatorship. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

dictator + -ship, as translation of Latin dictātūra

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

dictatorship

noun

dic·​ta·​tor·​ship dik-ˈtāt-ər-ˌship 

ˈdik-ˌtāt-

1

: the office of a dictator

2

: rule, control, or leadership by one person with total power

3

: a government or country in which total power is held by a dictator or a small group