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
Milei has also driven away many voters by engaging in threatening and proto-authoritarian rhetoric against the press and his political enemies.
—
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 25 Oct. 2025
There’s a moving moment of magnanimity, which won’t be given away here, that proves the underlying dignity of a people broken by an authoritarian state.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
The plot of His Dark Materials is driven by the long-running conflict between Pullman’s heroine, a bold, lithely intelligent 11-year-old named Lyra, and the Magisterium, an authoritarian incarnation of Christianity.
—Lev Grossman, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Much of the White House's attention has homed in on Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
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Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 25 Oct. 2025
There’s a moving moment of magnanimity, which won’t be given away here, that proves the underlying dignity of a people broken by an authoritarian state.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
The plot of His Dark Materials is driven by the long-running conflict between Pullman’s heroine, a bold, lithely intelligent 11-year-old named Lyra, and the Magisterium, an authoritarian incarnation of Christianity.
—Lev Grossman, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Much of the White House's attention has homed in on Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 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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