as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
in times of crisis, when a nation's people are frightened, there are often calls for totalitarianism
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Recent Examples of totalitarianism
In the time between the 1933 and 1934 congress, Germany had moved even further into Nazi totalitarianism.
—
Kamila Shamsie
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
Hannah Arendt and the Fight for the Truth (Public Books)
by John Plotz
Hannah Arendt famously wrote about totalitarianism.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 27 May 2025
George Orwell himself has gone in and out of favor over the revisionist years, but the British author’s searing insights into empire and power and totalitarianism have never lost relevance.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025
Live Not By Lies, a new documentary series released by Angel Studios, is warning against contemporary western culture’s love for comfort, safety, and security as a disguise for totalitarianism’s political entrance.
—Heather Hamilton, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
Kamila Shamsie
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
Hannah Arendt and the Fight for the Truth (Public Books)
by John Plotz
Hannah Arendt famously wrote about totalitarianism.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 27 May 2025
George Orwell himself has gone in and out of favor over the revisionist years, but the British author’s searing insights into empire and power and totalitarianism have never lost relevance.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025
Live Not By Lies, a new documentary series released by Angel Studios, is warning against contemporary western culture’s love for comfort, safety, and security as a disguise for totalitarianism’s political entrance.
—Heather Hamilton, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totalitarianism
Noun
-
The new Constitution’s supporters, known as Federalists, faced fierce opposition from Anti-Federalists who charged that a powerful national government, unrestrained by a bill of rights, would inevitably lead to tyranny.—
Donald Nieman,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Males that tried to rule by asserting their dominance through violence, tyranny and threat did not last.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
No more communism, or fascism; no more theocracy, or monarchies.—
Richard Stengel,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
-
This is the thing about fascism, right?—
Helen Molesworth,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If the Supreme Court officially makes the chief executive a unitary executive, the advancement of the public good may depend on little more than the whims of the president, a state of affairs normally more characteristic of dictatorship than democracy.—
Graham G. Dodds,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The exec emphasized his excitement about being in the country a few months after Salles’ history-making drama about Brazil’s military dictatorship, a film that also scored nominations for best picture and actress for Fernanda Torres.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The documentary about the perils of authoritarianism from the author of iconic 1984 and Animal Farm premiered at Cannes.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The rise of authoritarianism, xenophobia and nationalism is also fueling young people’s desire to act, as opportunities that were once available to their parents’ generations have nearly disappeared.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Totalitarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalitarianism. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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