Autos in Greek means "same" or "self", so in an autocratic government all the power is held by the leader him- or herself. Autocratic governments are often called dictatorships, or sometimes autocracies. In everyday life, a teacher, a parent, or a football coach can all behave like autocrats as well.
democracy is supposed to protect the people against the rise of autocratic rulers
an autocratic Boy Scout leader who is under the delusion that he's still an army colonel
Recent Examples on the WebCommentators have long disagreed about what Machiavelli sought by so obviously pandering to an autocratic ruler.—Vickie B. Sullivan, The Conversation, 5 June 2024 Bellocchio pursues this question through the boy’s religious instruction and his relationship with the autocratic yet skittish pope (Paolo Pierobon).—Armond White, National Review, 31 May 2024 The increasingly autocratic government has shuttered independent news organizations.—Stephanie Nolen Thomas Cristofoletti, New York Times, 21 May 2024 During the visit, Xi has nodded to traditional European centers of power such as France and the European Union — but also laid heavy emphasis on deepening ties with autocratic allies on the continent’s fringe.—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for autocratic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autocratic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Share