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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
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
This means that filmmakers out of favor with autocratic regimes—including, in Iran, some of the nation’s greatest artists—don’t stand a chance, and some of the most notable recent Iranian films have been submitted by other countries.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
The civil wars that followed were ignited by violent crackdowns by autocratic rulers of those states, even as outside powers, including Iran in Syria, quickly intervened to prolong the fighting and support their allies.
—Frederic Wehrey, Time, 24 Mar. 2026
Tens of thousands protested in Prague against populist Andrej Babiš’ new government, comparing it to increasingly autocratic Hungary and Slovakia.
—Karel Janicek, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2026
Numerous Democratic lawmakers denounced Carr’s threat as a page straight out of an autocratic playbook.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
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Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
The civil wars that followed were ignited by violent crackdowns by autocratic rulers of those states, even as outside powers, including Iran in Syria, quickly intervened to prolong the fighting and support their allies.
—Frederic Wehrey, Time, 24 Mar. 2026
Tens of thousands protested in Prague against populist Andrej Babiš’ new government, comparing it to increasingly autocratic Hungary and Slovakia.
—Karel Janicek, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2026
Numerous Democratic lawmakers denounced Carr’s threat as a page straight out of an autocratic playbook.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocratic. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
autocratic
adjective
au·to·crat·ic
ˌȯt-ə-ˈkrat-ik 
: of, relating to, or resembling autocracy or an autocrat
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