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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.
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 autocratic czarist regime ruled with an iron hand and suppressed opposition through censorship, banishment, and executions.
—
Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
As with previous generations of Russians under autocratic rule, from tsarism to Soviet communism, there was no purpose in worrying about the causes of the storm.
—Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2025
Demonstrators carried creative signs and wore costumes, with messages advocating for democracy and rejecting autocratic governance.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
In South Korea, parts of the civil service, legislature and military declined to support President Yoon Suk Yeol’s imposition of martial law in 2024, foiling his autocratic move.
—Shelley Inglis, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2025
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Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
As with previous generations of Russians under autocratic rule, from tsarism to Soviet communism, there was no purpose in worrying about the causes of the storm.
—Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2025
Demonstrators carried creative signs and wore costumes, with messages advocating for democracy and rejecting autocratic governance.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
In South Korea, parts of the civil service, legislature and military declined to support President Yoon Suk Yeol’s imposition of martial law in 2024, foiling his autocratic move.
—Shelley Inglis, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocratic. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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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