autocratic

adjective

au·​to·​crat·​ic ˌȯ-tə-ˈkra-tik How to pronounce autocratic (audio)
variants or less commonly autocratical
1
: of, relating to, or being an autocracy : absolute
an autocratic government
2
: characteristic of or resembling an autocrat : despotic
an autocratic ruler
autocratically adverb

Did you know?

Autos in Greek means "same" or "self", so in an autocratic government all the power is held by the leader him- or herself. Autocratic governments are often called dictatorships, or sometimes autocracies. In everyday life, a teacher, a parent, or a football coach can all behave like autocrats as well.

Examples of autocratic in a Sentence

democracy is supposed to protect the people against the rise of autocratic rulers an autocratic Boy Scout leader who is under the delusion that he's still an army colonel
Recent Examples on the Web The two factions staged a coup in 2021 that derailed a previous transition following the 2019 overthrow of autocratic former leader Omar al-Bashir. Reuters, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 These young artists, the future impressionists, loathed the autocratic regime of Napoleon III. Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Astonishingly, during this 20-year descent into an autocratic abyss, the majority of Russians, not to mention the time-serving elites, were not overly disturbed. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2024 But Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of the world’s most ruthless autocratic leaders. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Trump and his allies are doing little to allay concerns about his autocratic instincts. Vaughn Vreeland David Marchese, New York Times, 10 Dec. 2023 She's faced opposition over lackluster fundraising amid allegations of autocratic rule, a lack of transparency, and interference with county party business. Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024 While Sullivan, Burns, and Haines tout the power of declassification in the fight against autocratic disinformation, others worry about a coordinated secret-exploiting operation at the White House. TIME, 29 Feb. 2024 That outcome would send a terrible message, to countries everywhere, about the resolve and strength of America relative to its autocratic adversaries. Hal Brands, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autocratic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

autocrat + -ic entry 1, in part after French autocratique

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of autocratic was in 1769

Dictionary Entries Near autocratic

Cite this Entry

“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocratic. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

autocratic

adjective
au·​to·​crat·​ic ˌȯt-ə-ˈkrat-ik How to pronounce autocratic (audio)
: of, relating to, or resembling autocracy or an autocrat
autocratically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on autocratic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!