authoritarianism

noun

Definition of authoritarianismnext
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for authoritarianism
  1. tyranny
  2. dictatorship
  3. fascism
  4. autocracy
  5. totalitarianism
  6. despotism
Noun
  • Annotated Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language declared Americans free from the tyranny of British institutions and their vocabularies.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Transferring that depth to television, particularly to predominantly Black characters in a Caribbean country, especially one as fabled as Jamaica, to confront the tyranny of homophobia while also sustaining a conversation with the U.K. about its tainted legacy of colonialism, is bold and visionary.
    Ronda Racha Penrice, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • Since the peaceful revolution against the Assad dictatorship in 2012, the United States found ways to advance change.
    Brandon Hoffman, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2025
  • For his part, Rubio kept a serious stance while making his case for the new role and speaking out against dictatorship regimes, but also, kept several exchanges with senators lighter at times.
    Claudia Grisales, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Juan Bernabe, 56, was already a controversial figure at the club for his open support of fascism, but his up-and-down career came to an end after Sunday’s Instagram posts, The Athletic reported.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
  • The series tells the story of the birth of fascism in Italy and the rise to power of Benito Mussolini.
    Billboard Italy, Billboard, 13 Jan. 2025
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • In response, autocracies such as China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia militarize against the United States and try to divide its alliances and subvert its democracy.
    Michael Beckley, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
  • According to a European survey of more than two hundred countries, 2022 was the first time in two decades that closed autocracies outnumbered liberal democracies in the world.
    Chang Che, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
Definition of autocracy
Noun
  • The book, which was written in 1948, focuses on the consequences of totalitarianism, the government’s mass surveillance of the public and how truth and fact can be manipulated.
    Rachel Flynn, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Despite a propaganda campaign encouraging all Americans to come together and do their part to defeat the Axis and totalitarianism, the U.S. military remained rigidly segregated with people of color subjugated into subordinate roles and Black soldiers discriminated against abroad and at home.
    Tracie Canada / Made by History, TIME, 1 Jan. 2025
Definition of totalitarianism
Noun
  • Western governments have burdened Georgia with a special status as a democracy-in-the-making in a region otherwise beset by despotism.
    Christian Caryl, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Although Adolf Hitler met his road to perdition, Joseph Stalin survived and extended his despotism.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2024
Definition of despotism
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near authoritarianism

authoritarian

authoritarianism

authoritarians

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Cite this Entry

“Authoritarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authoritarianism. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on authoritarianism

Nglish: Translation of authoritarianism for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of authoritarianism for Arabic Speakers

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