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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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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Currently, asylum seekers who committed crimes seen as political in nature—i.e. toward an oppressive regime—could be granted asylum, as could those guilty of misdemeanors.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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But the show pulls back just enough on the oppressive horror vibes of Season Two without losing a perpetual sense of unease from those scenes.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And as the United States veered away from longstanding alliances with European democracies and toward a brutal authoritarian regime, U.S. Pres.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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Some human rights advocates are concerned about a growing alignment between how the Trump administration discusses democracy work and how authoritarian regimes frame the same topic.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Image Image Rival politicians were quick to call him a traitor and there is a contingent of Greenlandic politicians who are wary of Mr. Trump, seeing him as imperious and unpredictable.—
Jeffrey Gettleman,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
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Llewellyn’s starting point for the makeup design was initial illustrations by Phillips and Reed’s color choices in order to do something with the makeup that drew more focus to Yeoh’s imperious performance, but always in complementary colors.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
31 Jan. 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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Only the second entry in the young Thompson's filmography, Heavyweights tells the story of a group of enrollees at a weight loss camp who stage a coup against the tyrannical fitness enthusiasts who've recently seized power.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
20 Feb. 2025
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The most unpopular president this century is dictating tyrannical violations of the U.S. Constitution.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This was the sort of authoritative result that proves Missouri could make some noise come March.—
Brendan Marks,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
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Isbell’s authoritative vocal performance also highlighted his savvy wordplay and observations, tools that reinforced his music’s tight links with descriptive language and honest perspective.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
16 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 2 Mar. 2025.
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