as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
a critical period that saw a number of third-world countries abandon authoritarianism for democracy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authoritarianism
Noun
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Judicial review is an indispensable part of the checks and balances embedded in the Constitution as a protection against tyranny.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
20 Mar. 2025 -
But that doesn’t justify your silence in the face of Trump’s tyranny, either.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The digital age thrives on collaboration, not dictatorship.—
Nono Bokete,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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The film makes more than a token effort to explore the material and psychological realities of life under fascist rule, and the transformation of a charming agrarian utopia into an austere military dictatorship.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Cattaneo and Pope manage to balance the tone of a dramatic historical depiction of fascism with a charming animal story and their secret weapon is Coogan.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Don’t miss the upstairs museum, which displays priceless menorahs, prayer books, shofars and other historic artifacts, with windows that overlook the grave markers in the courtyard, a remnant of the old Budapest ghetto, where more than 2,000 victims of fascism were buried.—
Evan Rail,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There are good reasons to believe that a permanent slide into autocracy is harder in the U.S. than in those countries.—
Jennifer Victor,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2025
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Investors are already fleeing as the county grows more authoritarian, and a slide into full autocracy will hardly bring them back.—
Gonul Tol,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Mar. 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
Noun
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And there are worse messages to be putting out into the world via family films right now than celebrating the virtues of kindness and fairness over cruel despotism.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Mar. 2025
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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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Cite this Entry
“Authoritarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authoritarianism. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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