as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
the Magna Carta is historically important because it signified the British rejection of autocracy and constituted the first formal restraining of the power of the monarch
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of autocracy
Three decades later, Azerbaijan—now an oil-rich autocracy with a powerful army—struck back.
—
Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The arrest and recent imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu sent shockwaves through Turkey, marking a decisive shift toward full autocracy.
—Bilal Bilici, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Gone are the statements from the East Room of the White House about the United States standing up to bullies, supporting democracy over autocracy and ensuring freedom will prevail.
—Paul Sonne, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Biden used to frame America’s role in Ukraine as that of a bulwark in the global contest between autocracies and democracies.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocracy
Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The arrest and recent imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu sent shockwaves through Turkey, marking a decisive shift toward full autocracy.
—Bilal Bilici, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Gone are the statements from the East Room of the White House about the United States standing up to bullies, supporting democracy over autocracy and ensuring freedom will prevail.
—Paul Sonne, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Biden used to frame America’s role in Ukraine as that of a bulwark in the global contest between autocracies and democracies.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocracy
Noun
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The Allies were an unprecedented coalition of countries, ideologies, and people of all walks of life who stood shoulder to shoulder to defeat tyranny.—
Lt. General Leon Scott Rice,
Boston Herald,
7 May 2025
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For decades, Hollywood cast the American hero — from Rick Blaine to John McClane, Rocky Balboa, Ethan Hunt and Captain America — as the planet’s natural protagonist: the first responder to global chaos, the last line of defense against tyranny.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2025
Noun
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Oesterheld was kidnapped during the Argentine military dictatorship in 1977 and presumed dead, which turned the graphic novel into a symbol of resistance.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
1 May 2025
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This agreement created the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, giving full governing autonomy to Hungary, which Franz Joseph had placed under a military dictatorship following Hungarian nationals’ failed bid for independence in 1848.—
Elizabeth Djinis,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Join us for a timeless love story wrapped in smoky glamour and a firm middle finger to fascism.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
3 May 2025
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Within all that—and of more interest to me—is fascinating context about the interplay between democracy, fascism, communism, and religion in twentieth-century Europe, exemplified by one incredible sequence about Pope John Paul II’s 1979 visit to Communist Poland.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The necessity of power sharing also meant that Congress could provide a check against despotism even if the same party held the Presidency and a majority in both houses.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
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And there are worse messages to be putting out into the world via family films right now than celebrating the virtues of kindness and fairness over cruel despotism.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocracy. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
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