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
In the weeks following the US military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the world’s attention turned to who was best placed to run a country that had spent 13 years under his authoritarian regime.
—
Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
For years, Turkey’s government, headed by authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been muzzling filmmakers’ voices through censorship laws and state funding constraints on projects that didn’t seem to toe the political line.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 15 Feb. 2026
Some argue that limited military action targeting the Revolutionary Guard and security infrastructure — while sparing civilians — may be the only remaining path to ending this authoritarian system.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Yet authoritarian governments have developed sophisticated countermeasures.
—Michael Paarlberg, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
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Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
For years, Turkey’s government, headed by authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been muzzling filmmakers’ voices through censorship laws and state funding constraints on projects that didn’t seem to toe the political line.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 15 Feb. 2026
Some argue that limited military action targeting the Revolutionary Guard and security infrastructure — while sparing civilians — may be the only remaining path to ending this authoritarian system.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Yet authoritarian governments have developed sophisticated countermeasures.
—Michael Paarlberg, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 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 21 Feb. 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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