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
… the statutory and constitutional constraints which distinguish a democracy from a dictatorship.—
Center for National Security Studies, et al. v. U.S. Dept. of Justice, 215 F.Supp.2d 94 (2002)
Center for National Security Studies, et al. v. U.S. Dept. of Justice, 215 F.Supp.2d 94 (2002)
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
Chileans have elected the most right-wing presidential candidate since the end of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship over three and a half decades ago.
—Andra B. Chastain, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Kast, 59, easily beat leftist presidential candidate Jeannette Jara, winning 58% of the vote and steering the South American country toward its sharpest rightward shift since the end of the military dictatorship in 1990.
—Fabian Cambero, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
Santiago, Chile Reuters — Jose Antonio Kast won Chile’s presidential election on Sunday, leveraging voter fears over rising crime and migration to take the country to its sharpest rightward shift since the end of dictatorship in 1990.
—Reuters 31 Min Ago, CNN Money, 14 Dec. 2025
The actions toward Nicaragua are punitive and proportionate to the dictatorship's conduct; there is no negotiation posture, let alone dialogue.
—Associate News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
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Andra B. Chastain, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Kast, 59, easily beat leftist presidential candidate Jeannette Jara, winning 58% of the vote and steering the South American country toward its sharpest rightward shift since the end of the military dictatorship in 1990.
—Fabian Cambero, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
Santiago, Chile Reuters — Jose Antonio Kast won Chile’s presidential election on Sunday, leveraging voter fears over rising crime and migration to take the country to its sharpest rightward shift since the end of dictatorship in 1990.
—Reuters 31 Min Ago, CNN Money, 14 Dec. 2025
The actions toward Nicaragua are punitive and proportionate to the dictatorship's conduct; there is no negotiation posture, let alone dialogue.
—Associate News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 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 21 Dec. 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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