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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
Vince still exerted autocratic control.
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Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
War could spread beyond Sudan The conflict exploded from a power struggle that emerged following Sudan’s transition to democracy after an uprising forced the military ouster of longtime autocratic President Omar Bashir in April 2019.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The conflict exploded from a power struggle that emerged following Sudan’s transition to democracy after an uprising forced the military ouster of longtime autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Western pundits, policymakers and scholars believed that China’s economic growth would democratize the autocratic country.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
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Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
War could spread beyond Sudan The conflict exploded from a power struggle that emerged following Sudan’s transition to democracy after an uprising forced the military ouster of longtime autocratic President Omar Bashir in April 2019.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The conflict exploded from a power struggle that emerged following Sudan’s transition to democracy after an uprising forced the military ouster of longtime autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Western pundits, policymakers and scholars believed that China’s economic growth would democratize the autocratic country.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 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 20 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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