totalitarian

1 of 2

adjective

to·​tal·​i·​tar·​i·​an (ˌ)tō-ˌta-lə-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce totalitarian (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to centralized control by an autocratic leader or hierarchy : authoritarian, dictatorial
especially : despotic
b
: of or relating to a political regime based on subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of the life and productive capacity of the nation especially by coercive measures (such as censorship and terrorism)
2
a
: advocating or characteristic of totalitarianism
b
: completely regulated by the state especially as an aid to national mobilization in an emergency
c
: exercising autocratic powers

totalitarian

2 of 2

noun

: an advocate or practitioner of totalitarianism

Examples of totalitarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Anything less would be another sign of weakness in the face of Xi’s totalitarian push for control of the region. The Editors, National Review, 21 Mar. 2024 Instead of humiliating defeated wartime enemies Germany and Japan, whose countries lay in ruin, the United States led a massive multibillion-dollar economic recovery program and helped convert totalitarian societies into prosperous democracies. Bernie Sanders, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024 Forget the science for a second; what kind of political will—totalitarian or otherwise—is required to keep centuries of preparation on track? Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Under the totalitarian paradigm of television, Postman suggested, words and their associations no longer really mattered. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 Gheorghe’s journey to becoming a software engineer, venture capitalist and transformer of the fashion business began in Romania under a repressive totalitarian regime. Bruce Rogers, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Based on the best-selling 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood, the Hulu series told the story of a dystopian, totalitarian society where fertile women were forced to bear children for the state. Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 16 Jan. 2024 Over his lifetime, Aron was a hardheaded defender of liberal values in the face of fascist and totalitarian ideological challengers. Raymond Aron, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Navalny embodied the resistance to Putin’s regime more than any other Russian opposition figure, and his death at 47 in the prison camp was seen as a watershed signal that no dissent will be tolerated in Russia as Putin shifts toward a highly centralized, deeply repressive totalitarian regime. Mariana Alfaro, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2024
Noun
This textual totalitarian is, in the popular mind, not a very agreeable person. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2016 But, ten years later, his embrace of near-totalitarian control bears the deep imprint of his most personal beliefs about force, weakness, faith, and order. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2022 But that would not address the fundamental goal of the protests: to end the totalitarian stranglehold that has subjected the Cubans to an unbearable serfdom. Néstor T. Carbonell, National Review, 16 July 2021 And there’s another reason why totalitarians capable of horrific human rights violations are a real hosting nightmare. Sarah Todd, Quartz, 27 Dec. 2019 Some of his most popular works were surrealistic fantasies set in grisly worlds run by totalitarians and conformists. Fox News, 28 June 2018 Some of Ellison's most popular works were surrealistic fantasies set in grisly worlds run by totalitarians and conformists. Robert Jablon, USA TODAY, 28 June 2018 Surveying the literary output of leaders from Lenin to Kim Jong-il, Kalder asks why so many totalitarians dabble in literature. Colin Dickey, The New Republic, 22 Mar. 2018 No reasonable purpose is served by using a term that lumps together totalitarians, autocrats, conservatives and democratic nationalists, as though these are all varieties of a single dark worldview. Yoram Hazony, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'totalitarian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Italian totalitario, from totalità totality

First Known Use

Adjective

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of totalitarian was in 1926

Dictionary Entries Near totalitarian

Cite this Entry

“Totalitarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totalitarian. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

totalitarian

adjective
to·​tal·​i·​tar·​i·​an
(ˌ)tō-ˌtal-ə-ˈter-ē-ən
: of or relating to a political system in which the government has complete control over the people
totalitarianism
-ē-ə-ˌniz-əm
noun

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