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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
Venezuelans have been living under the autocratic regime of Nicolás Maduro for more than a decade amid runaway inflation, worsening poverty and widespread political persecution.
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Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 20 May 2025
In autocratic regimes, such as the one headed by the Kim family in North Korea, major construction projects like the Ryugyong Hotel serve the purpose of reinforcing the dictatorial government control.
—Ashley Gardini, JSTOR Daily, 13 May 2025
Democracy spread globally, and with it, challenges to the received idea of the national interest as something determined by autocratic elites, or of military power as the only kind that mattered.
—Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
So if criticism in this schema is an analogue for our relationship to the state, what is the responsibility in an autocratic, fascist moment?
—Arielle Angel, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
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Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 20 May 2025
In autocratic regimes, such as the one headed by the Kim family in North Korea, major construction projects like the Ryugyong Hotel serve the purpose of reinforcing the dictatorial government control.
—Ashley Gardini, JSTOR Daily, 13 May 2025
Democracy spread globally, and with it, challenges to the received idea of the national interest as something determined by autocratic elites, or of military power as the only kind that mattered.
—Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
So if criticism in this schema is an analogue for our relationship to the state, what is the responsibility in an autocratic, fascist moment?
—Arielle Angel, Vulture, 30 Apr. 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 24 May. 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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