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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
But there simply aren’t that many people who want an autocratic America.
—
Matthew E.k. Hall, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
Putin was also at the parade, with the three autocratic leaders putting on an unprecedented show of unity.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 5 June 2026
Activists in the industrial labor movement, the Congress of Industrial Organizations, compared their autocratic bosses to King George III and insisted that every American, native-born or immigrant, had the right to join a union and go on strike.
—Michael Kazin, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026
Platforms delegate the illusion of control and trade on a libertarian myth to obscure the autocratic reality.
—Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
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Matthew E.k. Hall, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
Putin was also at the parade, with the three autocratic leaders putting on an unprecedented show of unity.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 5 June 2026
Activists in the industrial labor movement, the Congress of Industrial Organizations, compared their autocratic bosses to King George III and insisted that every American, native-born or immigrant, had the right to join a union and go on strike.
—Michael Kazin, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026
Platforms delegate the illusion of control and trade on a libertarian myth to obscure the autocratic reality.
—Literary Hub, 28 May 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 12 Jun. 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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