dictatorship
noun
dic·ta·tor·ship
dik-ˈtā-tər-ˌship 
ˈdik-ˌtā-
1
: the office of dictator
2
: autocratic rule, control, or leadership
people suffering under his dictatorship
3
a
: a form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or a small clique
Communism and dictatorship
b
: a government organization or group in which absolute power is so concentrated
rising up against a military dictatorship
c
: a despotic state
establishing a dictatorship
Synonyms
Examples of dictatorship in a Sentence
The country suffered for many years under his dictatorship.
His enemies accused him of establishing a dictatorship.
Recent Examples on the Web
And ultimately, South Koreans may decide the time has come to revise the constitution, written in 1948 under U.S. military occupation and last revised in 1987 under military dictatorship.
—
John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2025
Molina, a gay hairdresser convicted of public indecency during Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship, has been sent to the political wing of a prison and put in the same cell as Valentin Arregui (a solid, if unremarkable Diego Luna), an intense and serious-minded Marxist revolutionary.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2025
During the third year of his sentence, he's placed in a cell with Valentin (Diego Luna), a revolutionary who is vital to the fight against Argentina's military dictatorship.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025
Her portrayal of a woman navigating decades of life under a military dictatorship is a hell of a showcase, to be sure.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2025
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John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2025
Molina, a gay hairdresser convicted of public indecency during Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship, has been sent to the political wing of a prison and put in the same cell as Valentin Arregui (a solid, if unremarkable Diego Luna), an intense and serious-minded Marxist revolutionary.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2025
During the third year of his sentence, he's placed in a cell with Valentin (Diego Luna), a revolutionary who is vital to the fight against Argentina's military dictatorship.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025
Her portrayal of a woman navigating decades of life under a military dictatorship is a hell of a showcase, to be sure.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dictatorship
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Dictionary Entries Near dictatorship
Cite this Entry
“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictatorship. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dictatorship
noun
dic·ta·tor·ship
dik-ˈtāt-ər-ˌship
ˈdik-ˌtāt-
1
: the office of a dictator
2
: rule, control, or leadership by one person with total power
3
: a government or country in which total power is held by a dictator or a small group
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