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)

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 of dictatorship

• tyranny
• fascism
• autocracy
• despotism

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

Could Iran end up like Libya, where a NATO air campaign in 2011 helped topple a decades-old dictatorship, but paved the way for the disintegration of the Libyan state into a thicket of rival factions and warring militias? —Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026

The accession of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in early March completed a decades-long process, solidifying the transformation of the Islamic Republic of Iran from a theocracy into a de facto military dictatorship. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026

But, even then, El Mercurio and other Chilean media downplayed his offenses and portrayed his dictatorship as a driver of a successful national economy. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Mar. 2026

Although American forces have arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and killed several Iranian leaders, removing the dictators has not dislodged the dictatorships in either Caracas or Tehran. —David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

dictator + -ship, as translation of Latin dictātūra

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dictatorship

• apostleship
• apprenticeship
• assistantship
• championship
• chancellorship
• citizenship
• companionship
• copartnership
• directorship
• discipleship
• editorship
• generalship

Kids 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