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
… the statutory and constitutional constraints which distinguish a democracy from a dictatorship.—
Center for National Security Studies, et al. v. U.S. Dept. of Justice, 215 F.Supp.2d 94 (2002)
Center for National Security Studies, et al. v. U.S. Dept. of Justice, 215 F.Supp.2d 94 (2002)
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
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
His wife Zawedde Lukwago told reporters that her husband's arrest evoked the dictatorship of Idi Amin, whose rule in Uganda in the 1970s resulted in between 100,000 and 500,000 people killed according to Human Rights Watch.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
The trophy did not change any laws or soften the dictatorship’s grip on culture and society, but for 90 minutes at a time, none of that was the point.
—Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
The film follows a pregnant woman confronting the disappearance of her father during Argentina’s dictatorship.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 13 June 2026
The trip, though, has underscored how the country of 50 million people, which experienced a religious crisis after its 20th century dictatorship ended, still has plenty of faithful Catholics who have turned out in droves to welcome the American pope.
—Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
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ABC News, 15 June 2026
The trophy did not change any laws or soften the dictatorship’s grip on culture and society, but for 90 minutes at a time, none of that was the point.
—Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
The film follows a pregnant woman confronting the disappearance of her father during Argentina’s dictatorship.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 13 June 2026
The trip, though, has underscored how the country of 50 million people, which experienced a religious crisis after its 20th century dictatorship ended, still has plenty of faithful Catholics who have turned out in droves to welcome the American pope.
—Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Cite this Entry
“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictatorship. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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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