variants
also autocratical
1
as in oppressive
exercising power or authority without interference by others
democracy is supposed to protect the people against the rise of autocratic rulers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
an autocratic Boy Scout leader who is under the delusion that he's still an army colonel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of autocratic
Authoritarian movements commonly embrace the notion that their country’s institutions have been subverted by enemies; autocratic leaders including Erdogan, Orban, and Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro routinely push such claims.
—
Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
Musk is staging a coup, using tactics similar to those used by the autocratic Viktor Orbán of Hungary.
—Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Protesters worry that the country’s current autocratic turn may become irreversible.
—Anthony Borden, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025
In some places, Colombians are fleeing into Venezuela — home to its own humanitarian crisis — and the Venezuelan autocratic leader there, Nicolás Maduro, has promised to send them aid.
—Julie Turkewitz, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
Musk is staging a coup, using tactics similar to those used by the autocratic Viktor Orbán of Hungary.
—Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Protesters worry that the country’s current autocratic turn may become irreversible.
—Anthony Borden, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025
In some places, Colombians are fleeing into Venezuela — home to its own humanitarian crisis — and the Venezuelan autocratic leader there, Nicolás Maduro, has promised to send them aid.
—Julie Turkewitz, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocratic
Adjective
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This gripping series takes viewers into insidious modern-day cults through the unique lens of members who endured unspeakable trauma and the shocking investigations into these oppressive groups.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Dominic Frey is a member of the oppressive class and everything Silas should despise — but now their mutual discretion is all that’s keeping them from punishment for their crimes of passion.—
Olivia Waite,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Fragile post-conflict governments often struggle to maintain popular support, and without a strong commitment to justice and accountability, there is a real risk that authoritarian tendencies will resurface.—
PATRICK VINCK,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Mar. 2025
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The futuristic worlds that she’s created reflect that, from the dark and dismal cityscapes to the authoritarian prisoner ships run entirely by soulless robots.—
Kyle Wilson,
Rolling Stone,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But against Spain, the imperious combination that has been lacking for Wiegman’s side over the past 12 months returned.—
Michael Cox,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Wilson, a former university president with an imperious air, returned from Europe a hero.—
Dexter Filkins,
The New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The notion that these companies were sovereign enclaves of pitilessly despotic geniuses is a myth of recent vintage.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
The New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2025
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Most humans who have ever lived have done so under despotic regimes.—
Stephen D. Krasner,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Feb. 2020
Adjective
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According to Packer, several surefire ways to ensure success start here: Be arrogant!—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
17 Feb. 2025
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In 1254, King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile were married at a very young age, and although Edward had a reputation for being arrogant and quarrelsome, the pair eventually fell deeply in love.—
Gulnaz Khan,
AFAR Media,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The Constitution that resulted outlined a separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, serving together as a system of checks and balances to prevent the kind of tyrannical rule that the colonies fought to free themselves from.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
TIME,
20 Feb. 2025
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The tyrannical showrunner, Cal, is our victim of the week, done in by his (in her mind) long-suffering leading lady, Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf, what a get!), who finally has a chance to put her classical training to work in a production of Macbeth in London.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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LLMs don’t use E-E-A-T the same way as search engines, but authoritative sources still shape their responses.—
Nick Brown,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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His timely break into a skating lane and McTavish’s authoritative pass synergized perfectly to turn a rush without numbers into a go-ahead goal, Strome’s ninth.—
Andrew Knoll,
Orange County Register,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This concentration of authority is a legacy of decades of dictatorial rule before South Korea’s transition to democracy in 1987.—
ROBERT E. KELLY,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2025
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Though Yoon rescinded the decree after just six hours, the martial law imposition was the first of its kind in South Korea in more than 40 years and evoked painful memories of past dictatorial rules in the 1960s-80s.—
Danielle Wallace,
Fox News,
26 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocratic. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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