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

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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
  • It's mainly made up of former and current law enforcement, former and current military, and these people see themselves as the last line of defense against government tyranny.
    Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Finally, Gibney breaks away from nonstop Sopranos worship for secondhand memories of Gandolfini’s personal struggles on the series — the mixture of pressure and addiction — and Chase’s transition into some level of occasional tyranny.
    Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2024
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • His thirty-two-year hard-line dictatorship witnessed political assassinations and the violent suppression of human rights by his army.
    Hung Duong, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
  • The peace plan tried to secure Arab recognition of Israel’s 1967 conquests, in exchange for more American aid and arms sales to the brutal Egyptian, Saudi and Emirati dictatorships.
    Caise D. Hassan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Forcible suppression of opposition is a key component in fascism.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
  • The Parisian Surrealists emerged amid the fresh traumas of World War I, the alienation of rapid industrialization, and the horrors of rising fascism.
    Jack Denton, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • To start a new movement, Tunisia’s civil society and its politicians must rebuild trust with the people and convince them, fundamentally, that democracy is more likely than autocracy to bring about the economic growth and stability the country needs.
    Sarah E. Yerkes, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Yet this cooperation masks divisions among the world’s major autocracies.
    Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024
Definition of autocracy
Noun
  • Mann understood the appeal of totalitarianism early on.
    George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
  • In 1984, Apple released a TV ad suggesting that its new Macintosh would topple Orwellian totalitarianism.
    Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Definition of totalitarianism
Noun
  • 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
  • His thug military’s attacks — and those of his thug street enforcers known as colectivos — on Venezuelans who’ve taken to the streets to protest his Gómez-ish despotism?
    Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 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 21 Nov. 2024.

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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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