authoritarian

adjective

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

, ə-, -ˌthȯr-\

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

Other Words from authoritarian Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about authoritarian

Keep scrolling for more

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

But that legacy created an opportunity for abuse, provided the right authoritarian figure eager came along. — Ed Burmila, The New Republic, "If Trump wanted to give himself sweeping new powers, could anyone stop him?," 13 June 2019 The shadows of this authoritarian agenda, designed to exploit, disenfranchise, and repress non-white lives, still loom heavily over the country and global perceptions of it. — Cassidy George, Vogue, "Meet Thebe Magugu, the Designer at the Heart of South Africa’s Cultural Renaissance," 20 May 2019 But the Board's main target is facial recognition, the technology that has increasingly become associated with authoritarian measures. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "San Francisco Is Preparing to Ban Facial Recognition Technology," 14 May 2019 Studies show authoritarian parenting can lead to behavior problems. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "Five Types of Parenting Styles, Explained — And How They Affect Kids, According to Experts," 1 Apr. 2019 Her appearance was protested – the Soviet Union, despite Glasnost, was a preeminent authoritarian regime, after all. — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, "Meeting Gorbachev, Werner Herzog's Documentary, Is a Historical Thriller for Today," 27 May 2019 China’s resistance to Western pressure over the camps highlights its growing confidence under President Xi Jinping, who has offered Beijing’s authoritarian system as a model for other countries. — Yanan Wang, The Seattle Times, "China says interning Muslims brings them into ‘modern’ world," 16 Oct. 2018 Creating new laws and regulations is the easy part in China’s authoritarian political system. — Michael Holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, "Beijing gets tough on trash," 5 July 2018 In the Beijing classroom, the discussion turned away from Mao’s theories and to questions about whether China’s authoritarian system offered enough channels for people to express their views. — New York Times, "Mao 101: Inside a Chinese Classroom Training the Communists of Tomorrow," 28 June 2018

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.