authoritarian
adjective
au·thor·i·tar·i·an
ȯ-ˌthȯr-ə-ˈter-ē-ən 
ə-,
-ˌthär-
1
: of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority
had authoritarian parents
2
: of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people
an authoritarian regime
authoritarian
noun
Synonyms of authoritarian
Examples of authoritarian in a Sentence
grew up with an authoritarian older sister who thought she was queen of the world
an authoritarian coach who runs football practice like it's boot camp
Recent Examples on the Web
Unfortunately, many countries have had or still have authoritarian leaders, and nationalism is widespread around the globe.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
The mercenary group for years propped up militant groups and authoritarian regimes in the Sahel in exchange for mineral resources — including huge concessions in Sudan’s gold mining industry.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Unlike communism and other authoritarian systems of government, democratic socialists believe in democracy.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
For a quarter century, our government has been using the threat of an American military attack to justify more and more authoritarian control over the country.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
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Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
The mercenary group for years propped up militant groups and authoritarian regimes in the Sahel in exchange for mineral resources — including huge concessions in Sudan’s gold mining industry.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Unlike communism and other authoritarian systems of government, democratic socialists believe in democracy.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
For a quarter century, our government has been using the threat of an American military attack to justify more and more authoritarian control over the country.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
Cite this Entry
“Authoritarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarian. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
authoritarian
adjective
au·thor·i·tar·i·an
ȯ-ˌthär-ə-ˈter-ē-ən
ə-,
-ˌthȯr-
1
: expecting strict obedience to one's authority
had authoritarian parents
2
: based on the principle that the leaders and not the people have the final authority
an authoritarian state
authoritarian
noun
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