dictatorship
noun
dic·ta·tor·ship
dik-ˈtā-tər-ˌship 
ˈdik-ˌtā-
1
: the office of dictator
2
: autocratic rule, control, or leadership
people suffering under his dictatorship
3
a
: a form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or a small clique
Communism and dictatorship
b
: a government organization or group in which absolute power is so concentrated
rising up against a military dictatorship
c
: a despotic state
establishing a dictatorship
Examples of dictatorship in a Sentence
The country suffered for many years under his dictatorship.
His enemies accused him of establishing a dictatorship.
Recent Examples on the Web
For Moura, the echoes of Brazil’s dictatorship and the dangers of authoritarianism repeating itself, fed directly into The Secret Agent.
—
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2025
Filho’s latest is set in his native Recife (the subject of his last film, the excellent Pictures of Ghosts) during Carnival in the 1970s, and tells the story of a former teacher on the run from his past during the final years of the Brazilian dictatorship.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025
Co-host Ana Navarro compared the government pressure to tactics used by dictatorships to silence the press and the public.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Shaheen called this a historic opportunity for Syria after years of dictatorship under the Assad regime.
—Michele Kelemen, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
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Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2025
Filho’s latest is set in his native Recife (the subject of his last film, the excellent Pictures of Ghosts) during Carnival in the 1970s, and tells the story of a former teacher on the run from his past during the final years of the Brazilian dictatorship.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025
Co-host Ana Navarro compared the government pressure to tactics used by dictatorships to silence the press and the public.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Shaheen called this a historic opportunity for Syria after years of dictatorship under the Assad regime.
—Michele Kelemen, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Cite this Entry
“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictatorship. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dictatorship
noun
dic·ta·tor·ship
dik-ˈtāt-ər-ˌship
ˈdik-ˌtāt-
1
: the office of a dictator
2
: rule, control, or leadership by one person with total power
3
: a government or country in which total power is held by a dictator or a small group
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