as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
concerning absolutism Lord Acton famously observed that "absolute power corrupts absolutely"
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Recent Examples of absolutism
The selection of Vance clarified the party’s absolutism.
—
Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, 18 July 2024
Like some other Republican senators of his generation (Tom Cotton, of Arkansas; Josh Hawley, of Missouri; and Marco Rubio, of Florida, among them), Vance often stressed the need for Republicans to break from the free-market absolutism of the past.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
The result, in 1906, was the movement known as the Constitutional Revolution, which established a parliamentary system and brought about a short pause in Iran’s long history of absolutism.
—Amir A. Afkhami, Foreign Affairs, 2 Mar. 2020
This moral absolutism is antithetical to the university’s goal of advancing knowledge and critical inquiry.
—Jeffrey Koseff, Washington Post, 8 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for absolutism
Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, 18 July 2024
Like some other Republican senators of his generation (Tom Cotton, of Arkansas; Josh Hawley, of Missouri; and Marco Rubio, of Florida, among them), Vance often stressed the need for Republicans to break from the free-market absolutism of the past.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
The result, in 1906, was the movement known as the Constitutional Revolution, which established a parliamentary system and brought about a short pause in Iran’s long history of absolutism.
—Amir A. Afkhami, Foreign Affairs, 2 Mar. 2020
This moral absolutism is antithetical to the university’s goal of advancing knowledge and critical inquiry.
—Jeffrey Koseff, Washington Post, 8 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for absolutism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absolutism
Noun
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In a functioning American democracy, the separation of powers serves as a vital safeguard against tyranny.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
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America was forged in the blood and fire of rejecting tyranny; its institutions were meticulously formed around the principle that we would never be ruled by a king.—
Maureen Dowd,
The Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Russia is our enemy and will be for at least as long as Putin's dictatorship endures (and the Russian people continue to succumb to nostalgia for great power status and empire).—
Bradley Gitz,
arkansasonline.com,
17 Mar. 2025
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Founded in 1998, the station is owned by journalist Marcus Garcia, another renowned Haitian journalist and columnist who led the struggle for press freedoms against the Duvalier dictatorship in the 1980s.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Considering how many feel the show speaks to the rise in fascism currently taking place throughout the world, many believe the show has become adept at channeling real-world conflicts into a sci-fi allegory, but Gilroy doesn’t view his work as capturing the moment.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
16 Mar. 2025
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Our parents defeated fascism and communism at the cost of great sacrifice.—
Claude Malhuret,
The Atlantic,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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That game-changing support almost certainly won’t come from the United States, which under President Donald Trump is rapidly aligning itself with Russia and other autocracies.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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Some are pushing back against the Trump administration’s efforts to gut federal programs and fears about an autocracy in America.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening will address a joint session of Congress in a new political landscape – and just a year after former President Joe Biden warned that the nation faced a choice between democracy and despotism.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA TODAY,
3 Mar. 2025
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Cutting bureaucracy isn’t usually associated with despotism and power grabs.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Articles Related to absolutism
Cite this Entry
“Absolutism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absolutism. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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