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
But then again, almost everything Trump does is right out of the authoritarian playbook.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2025
Any center of liberal and free thought from pop music to Ivy League universities is vulnerable to authoritarian impulses.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN Money, 7 June 2025
Trump’s authoritarian designs have often been compared, including by Andrew Marantz in this magazine, to Viktor Orbán’s regime in Hungary.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 6 June 2025
Narula and her colleagues are particularly concerned about central bank digital currencies being rolled out in authoritarian regimes.
—Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 5 June 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.
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2025
Any center of liberal and free thought from pop music to Ivy League universities is vulnerable to authoritarian impulses.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN Money, 7 June 2025
Trump’s authoritarian designs have often been compared, including by Andrew Marantz in this magazine, to Viktor Orbán’s regime in Hungary.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 6 June 2025
Narula and her colleagues are particularly concerned about central bank digital currencies being rolled out in authoritarian regimes.
—Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 5 June 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 20 Jun. 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