authoritarian

au·thor·i·tar·i·an | \ ȯ-ˌthȯr-ə-ˈter-ē-ən

How to pronounce authoritarian (audio)

, ə-, -ˌthär- \

Definition of authoritarian

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

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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 Indeed, for some who study the strength of democracy in nations around the world, the rise of armed vigilantes in America is reminiscent of what happens in weakening democracies on the verge of authoritarian rule. — Noah Robertson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Armed protesters in America create stress test for police," 22 Sep. 2020 But research shows that repression alone is too costly a means of sustaining authoritarian rule. — Tatsiana Kulakevich, The Conversation, "Belarus’ embattled leader secretly inaugurated himself, sparking new protests and global backlash," 28 Sep. 2020 The law’s passage Tuesday further blurs the distinction between the legal systems of Hong Kong, which maintained aspects of British law after the 1997 handover, and the mainland’s authoritarian Communist Party system. — Zen Soo, The Denver Post, "Hong Kong police make first arrests under new security law," 1 July 2020 His words marked a remarkable turn for a country that over the past five decades had seen an absolute monarchy, revolutions, civil war and authoritarian rule, but not freedom or democracy. — The Economist, "Ethnic tensions and state violence Ethiopia’s democratic transition is in peril," 19 Sep. 2020 Ukraine has joined the United States and the European Union in criticizing the Aug. 9 vote in which Lukashenko extended his 26-year authoritarian rule as neither free nor fair and urged Belarusian authorities to end their crackdown on protesters. — Yuras Karmanau, Star Tribune, "Ukraine, Belarus trade accusations over Jewish pilgrims," 16 Sep. 2020 Guinea, the world’s biggest bauxite exporter, has a history of authoritarian rule. — Ougna Camara, Bloomberg.com, "Guinean President Enters Race to Extend His 10-Year Rule," 1 Sep. 2020 Peña Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party essentially ran Mexico during seven decades of authoritarian rule, which ended in 2000. — Washington Post, "Former aide ties Mexican ex-president Peña Nieto to millions in bribes," 12 Aug. 2020 Other countries, such as Iran since 1979, Libya under former dictator Muammar Gaddafi and Venezuela under the late authoritarian leader Hugo Chavez are known to have also to have occasionally intervened in elections. — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, "The U.S. is the biggest election meddler of them all, new book claims," 4 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'authoritarian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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authority figure

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Last Updated

16 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Authoritarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarian. Accessed 28 Oct. 2020.

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