1
as in monarchy
a system of government in which a religious body holds unlimited power
Under a theocracy, an entire nation officially follows one religion.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in democracy
a group of people who live in a territory ruled by a religious body
The country was a theocracy governed by religious leaders.
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Recent Examples of theocracy
In the wake of Amini’s death in 2022, mass protests calling for the theocracy’s dissolution broke out Iran and around the world.
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Anika Seth, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
Recommended Biden’s immigration announcement explained in 3 questions Meanwhile, as Iran’s election campaign goes on, presidential candidates are using Instagram, X, and Telegram – all services previously banned by the theocracy after rounds of nationwide protests.
—Jon Gambrell and Nasser Karimi, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2024
Apocalypse in the Tropics focuses on how the evangelical movement paved the way for the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro and continues to pose the threat of a national theocracy.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
Bryan understood instinctively that the way to turn American society from a democracy to a theocracy was to start by destroying its schools.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for theocracy 
Anika Seth, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
Recommended Biden’s immigration announcement explained in 3 questions Meanwhile, as Iran’s election campaign goes on, presidential candidates are using Instagram, X, and Telegram – all services previously banned by the theocracy after rounds of nationwide protests.
—Jon Gambrell and Nasser Karimi, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2024
Apocalypse in the Tropics focuses on how the evangelical movement paved the way for the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro and continues to pose the threat of a national theocracy.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
Bryan understood instinctively that the way to turn American society from a democracy to a theocracy was to start by destroying its schools.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for theocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theocracy
Noun
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The website of the State of Nebraska legislature notes that the founders of this country specifically rejected the establishment of a monarchy, which by definition eschews participatory governance.Blake D. Morant, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
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In recent years, the British monarchy has adopted a more conciliatory tone when addressing the past horrors of transatlantic slavery.Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
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And 56% are worried that the 2024 election could be the end of democracy in the United States.Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
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There are fundamental values on the line, even beyond democracy — women’s rights, civil rights, the safety of immigrants.Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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But for anyone outside the British elite, the constitutional monarchism that emerged after the civil wars did not look much like democracy or true liberty.Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
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Yet, paradoxically, the regular waves of anti-monarchism were held at bay largely by the sheer, irrefutable fact of her continued existence.Vulture, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2022
Noun
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Meanwhile, Qatari leaders face the prospect of a hawkish Trump presidency and more powerful Republican lawmakers with little tolerance for rounds of unsuccessful talks or patience with the kingdom’s role as a go-between for militants.Keir Simmons, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2024
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The construction has taken place in border regions in northeast Bhutan and the west of the kingdom – near the disputed border between India and China, according to the research.Simone McCarthy, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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The upcoming election is an indicator in how much longer the American republic will last.Roger Valdez, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
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Democrats were also disappointed that Walz didn’t seize every opportunity to attack J. D. Vance and Donald Trump as MAGA extremists threatening the republic.Matthew Continetti, National Review, 5 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Theocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theocracy. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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