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
Synonyms of authoritarian
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
The 16-year illiberal, undemocratic, authoritarian rule of Viktor Orbán is ending.
—
Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Last weekend, Hungarian voters rejected the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement of Viktor Orbán, who cultivated close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
The detentions have made residents hesitant to speak about the war, throttled the availability of crucial online evidence of the unfolding conflict and contributed to a climate of fear in the face of authoritarian governments.
—Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
The newly elevated leaders, including Ghalibaf, owe their power to the same authoritarian theocracy that sustained the Ayatollah’s regime.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
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Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Last weekend, Hungarian voters rejected the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement of Viktor Orbán, who cultivated close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
The detentions have made residents hesitant to speak about the war, throttled the availability of crucial online evidence of the unfolding conflict and contributed to a climate of fear in the face of authoritarian governments.
—Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
The newly elevated leaders, including Ghalibaf, owe their power to the same authoritarian theocracy that sustained the Ayatollah’s regime.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
Cite this Entry
“Authoritarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarian. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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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