totalitarianism
noun
to·tal·i·tar·i·an·ism
(ˌ)tō-ˌta-lə-ˈter-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm 
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
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty notably helped spread American culture and news during the Cold War, undermining totalitarianism.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2025
No matter what country, what system, there is always a risk of totalitarianism and of human rights being questioned.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
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
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2025
No matter what country, what system, there is always a risk of totalitarianism and of human rights being questioned.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
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Cite this Entry
“Totalitarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totalitarianism. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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