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
Communism is most readily associated with the one-party dictatorships of the Soviet Union and present-day China.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Despite arriving deep in the midst of Brazil’s oppressive junta dictatorship, that album, 1972’s Clube da Esquina, became one of the most influential and acclaimed records in the country’s musical history.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2025
To be clear, there is no sense that Rondón and Ugás are defending the old guard or suggesting that a docile, starving population pinioned under the grip of a dictatorship is big-picture preferable to a rebellious insurgency.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Minister Kabawat is a member of the Christian minority and a longtime member of the opposition to the former dictatorship of Bashar Al-Assad that was defeated by Al-Shara in late 2024.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
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Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Despite arriving deep in the midst of Brazil’s oppressive junta dictatorship, that album, 1972’s Clube da Esquina, became one of the most influential and acclaimed records in the country’s musical history.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2025
To be clear, there is no sense that Rondón and Ugás are defending the old guard or suggesting that a docile, starving population pinioned under the grip of a dictatorship is big-picture preferable to a rebellious insurgency.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Minister Kabawat is a member of the Christian minority and a longtime member of the opposition to the former dictatorship of Bashar Al-Assad that was defeated by Al-Shara in late 2024.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 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 10 Nov. 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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