as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
concerning absolutism Lord Acton famously observed that "absolute power corrupts absolutely"
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of absolutism
In other words, the absolutism or the abolitionist approach to cutting out meat from our diet doesn’t work for a lot of people.
—
Shalom Daniel, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
The political absolutism of Sartre was a way of asserting fearlessness: Nothing, not even the presence of the U.S. Army, can intimidate me!
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
But by the early seventeenth century the sovereigns of Britain, France, and elsewhere had begun to erode this medieval constitutionalism in favor of a new absolutism.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
The selection of Vance clarified the party’s absolutism.
—Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, 18 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for absolutism
Shalom Daniel, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
The political absolutism of Sartre was a way of asserting fearlessness: Nothing, not even the presence of the U.S. Army, can intimidate me!
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
But by the early seventeenth century the sovereigns of Britain, France, and elsewhere had begun to erode this medieval constitutionalism in favor of a new absolutism.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
The selection of Vance clarified the party’s absolutism.
—Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, 18 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for absolutism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absolutism
Noun
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Yet Croce and his peers knew that silence in the face of tyranny is not prudence.—
Elisa Manfredini,
Time,
14 June 2025
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This is because tyranny always catches you by surprise.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
Noun
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Miami Dade College also owns the Freedom Tower, an iconic building that once welcomed Cubans fleeing the Fidel Castro dictatorship.—
Douglas Hanks,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 June 2025
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The order bars entry for most applicants seeking tourist, student and business visas, further narrowing the few remaining legal pathways for families torn apart by dictatorship, displacement and economic collapse.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
Noun
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At the Seder, Molly compared liberatory ideas to the wind, an invisible force that blows everywhere and can’t be contained, even in the face of fascism.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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This is a core manifestation of fascism — using federal forces to put down dissent.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Some Democrats warn that the U.S. is sliding toward autocracy – a system in which one leader holds unchecked power.—
Daniel Treisman,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
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This capital city doesn't have the trappings of an autocracy.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Now American culture bows down to Anna Wintour’s despotism.—
Armond White,
National Review,
9 May 2025
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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
Noun
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Mao had also fully grasped the natural suitability of photographic and filmic media for the broadcasting and cognitive technologies of totalitarianism.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
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Hannah Arendt and the Fight for the Truth (Public Books) by John Plotz Hannah Arendt famously wrote about totalitarianism.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Absolutism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absolutism. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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