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

Synonyms

• tyranny
• fascism
• autocracy
• Communism

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

Written and directed by Pérez Rial, the film reconstructs the exile of Sosa, who was arrested during a 1978 concert in La Plata and later forced to flee Argentina’s dictatorship. —Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025

Caesar's Legion is a straight-up totalitarian dictatorship of LARPers playing Romans. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2025

That includes Valentín, a leftist whose own dreams of revolution have been cut short by the dictatorship’s crackdowns. —Blythe Marks, Them., 17 Oct. 2025

The film is set in the last days of Brazil’s military dictatorship, which lasted until the early 1980s. —Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

dictator + -ship, as translation of Latin dictātūra

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dictatorship

• apostleship
• apprenticeship
• assistantship
• championship
• chancellorship
• citizenship
• companionship
• copartnership
• directorship
• discipleship
• editorship
• generalship

Kids 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