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
Gathering Communist Party elites will review China’s upcoming five-year plan, an economic blueprint whose direction is strictly dictated by top leadership in the authoritarian state.
—
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
Protest-goers told the Idaho Statesman about a variety of motivations for showing up, mostly covering civil liberties — rights for immigrants, women and transgender people — and Trump’s authoritarian actions.
—Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2025
This feels more important than ever in a world that tries to normalize genocide and climate catastrophe as the inevitable outcome of ongoing and increasingly authoritarian imperialist projects.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
In all of our studies, this mindset was also strongly associated with authoritarian attitudes, including beliefs that some groups should dominate others and support for autocratic government.
—Abraham Rutchick, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
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Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
Protest-goers told the Idaho Statesman about a variety of motivations for showing up, mostly covering civil liberties — rights for immigrants, women and transgender people — and Trump’s authoritarian actions.
—Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2025
This feels more important than ever in a world that tries to normalize genocide and climate catastrophe as the inevitable outcome of ongoing and increasingly authoritarian imperialist projects.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
In all of our studies, this mindset was also strongly associated with authoritarian attitudes, including beliefs that some groups should dominate others and support for autocratic government.
—Abraham Rutchick, The Conversation, 15 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 20 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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