autocratic

adjective

au·​to·​crat·​ic ˌȯ-tə-ˈkra-tik 

variants or less commonly autocratical

ˌȯ-tə-ˈkra-ti-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, or being an autocracy : absolute

an autocratic government

2

: characteristic of or resembling an autocrat : despotic

an autocratic ruler

autocratically

ˌȯ-tə-ˈkra-ti-k(ə-)lē 

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.

Synonyms of autocratic

• authoritarian
• oppressive
• arbitrary
• despotic
• tyrannical
• dictatorial

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

Lampooning authority is even common in autocratic societies where governments spend large sums of money suppressing speech. — Christopher Von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026

Despite the many obstacles to deployment, the technology is already bringing autocratic regimes the upsides of cheaper surveillance, smarter censorship, and fewer human subordinates to fear and distrust. — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026

To date, the most serious challenge to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s increasingly autocratic tenure came from Ekrem İmamoğlu, the popular mayor of Istanbul. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026

Nayib Bukele, the autocratic leader of El Salvador, went on Tucker Carlson’s show to defend his own program of mass arrests and packed prisons. — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for autocratic

• achromatic
• acrobatic
• adriatic
• aliphatic
• antistatic
• aromatic
• astigmatic
• automatic
• bureaucratic
• charismatic
• cholestatic
• cinematic

Kids Definition

autocratic

adjective

au·​to·​crat·​ic ˌȯt-ə-ˈkrat-ik 

: of, relating to, or resembling autocracy or an autocrat

autocratically

-ˈkrat-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb