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 United States has spent years condemning Venezuela’s authoritarian abuses—its sham elections, political repression, and economic collapse.
—
Patrik S Ward, Oc Register, 6 Dec. 2025
In a Tamil town in Malaysia, dominated by an authoritarian priest, Thunder, a rebellious young woman, channels her anger by performing with her punk band on the village stage, normally reserved for the priest’s religious processions.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2025
The 2018 and 2022 World Cups, awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively, were marred by controversy surrounding their assignment and the host governments’ authoritarian tendencies and human rights credentials.
—Gabriel Sama, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
The growing ecosystem of Chinese AI surveillance and censorship tools, which small and medium enterprises are developing in-house as well, also has global implications, the report warned – with other authoritarian countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia also using AI to surveil their populations.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
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Patrik S Ward, Oc Register, 6 Dec. 2025
In a Tamil town in Malaysia, dominated by an authoritarian priest, Thunder, a rebellious young woman, channels her anger by performing with her punk band on the village stage, normally reserved for the priest’s religious processions.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2025
The 2018 and 2022 World Cups, awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively, were marred by controversy surrounding their assignment and the host governments’ authoritarian tendencies and human rights credentials.
—Gabriel Sama, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
The growing ecosystem of Chinese AI surveillance and censorship tools, which small and medium enterprises are developing in-house as well, also has global implications, the report warned – with other authoritarian countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia also using AI to surveil their populations.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 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 8 Dec. 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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