totalitarianism

noun to·tal·i·tar·i·an·ism \ (ˌ)tō-ˌta-lə-ˈter-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

Definition of totalitarianism

1 : centralized control by an autocratic authority

2 : the political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority

Examples of totalitarianism in a Sentence

in times of crisis, when a nation's people are frightened, there are often calls for totalitarianism

Recent Examples of totalitarianism from the Web

In both Babylon Berlin and Fahrenheit 451, truth remains the most pervasive and profound casualty of totalitarianism while also the most abstract.

— steve erickson, Los Angeles Magazine, "HBO’s Fahrenheit 451 Reveals a Blurred Line Between Utopia and Hell," 16 May 2018
But while Mirror is unified by themes of technology's dangers, Electric Dreams is about totalitarianism and artificial intelligence.

— kelly lawler, USA TODAY, "The 10 best sci-fi and fantasy TV shows you’re not watching," 3 May 2018
Spurred by a global plague of infertility, an extremist group called the Sons of Jacob staged a coup on the U.S. government and sent progressive American society reeling backwards to totalitarianism, organized on Old Testament principles.

— refinery29.com, "The Handmaid's Tale Glossary You Need To Survive Gilead," 2 May 2018
And as freewheeling, democratic South Korea won’t relish wallowing under Stalinist totalitarianism, mending the political divide remains a huge sticking point.

— charlie campbell, Time, "What Would Korean Reunification Look Like? Five Glaring Problems to Overcome," 26 Apr. 2018
It was written in the 20th century, a century of noteworthy dictatorships, autocracies, and totalitarianisms.

— nicole phelps, Vogue, "Margaret Atwood Talks Ambition: The Handmaid’s Tale Author Joins Boldfacers at the Tory Burch Foundation’s First-Ever Summit," 25 Apr. 2018
Still, that China is officially stepping into a new era of totalitarianism came as a shock to the 1.4 billion people whose fates are now irrevocably tied to one man.

— janis mackey frayer, NBC News, "Analysis: Xi Jinping retuns China to era of one-man rule," 27 Feb. 2018
Stories of the Second World War console us with memories of the days before Vietnam, Cambodia, and Iraq, when the United States was the world’s good-hearted superpower, riding to the rescue of a Europe paralyzed by totalitarianism and appeasement.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "How American Racism Influenced Hitler," 23 Apr. 2018
There is a certain power in laughing at the absurdity of evil totalitarianism, which is propped up by pomp and propaganda — Iannucci illustrates that well with the grandeur and pomposity of Stalin’s funeral.

— katie walsh, idahostatesman, "Armando Iannucci’s ‘The Death of Stalin’ a mix of absurd, tragic comedy | Idaho Statesman," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'totalitarianism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of totalitarianism

1926

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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