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
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
To his critics, his centralization of power and ruthless purge of opponents put Malaysia on an authoritarian trajectory.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 2 May 2025
Singapore, for instance, is highly economically free but sharply socially authoritarian.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
Countless people have left authoritarian countries for the promise of freedom and safety in the United States.
—Frank Langfitt, NPR, 1 May 2025
The depth and breadth of this administration’s disregard for civil liberties, political pluralism, the separation of powers and legal constraints of all kinds mark it as an authoritarian regime.
—Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Charlie Campbell, Time, 2 May 2025
Singapore, for instance, is highly economically free but sharply socially authoritarian.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
Countless people have left authoritarian countries for the promise of freedom and safety in the United States.
—Frank Langfitt, NPR, 1 May 2025
The depth and breadth of this administration’s disregard for civil liberties, political pluralism, the separation of powers and legal constraints of all kinds mark it as an authoritarian regime.
—Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 1 May 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 6 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share