ABSOLUTISTIC Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

absolutism

noun

ˈab-sə-ˌlü-ˌti-zəm

Definition of absolutism

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of absolutism Advice or even just notions—only check email after noon; never do 10 reps of crunches—solidify into absolutism or vanish. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026 So the same establishment that had once helped push a Qajar shah toward constitutionalism helped pull a Pahlavi shah back from exile and back into absolutism. — Bobby Ghosh, Time, 5 Mar. 2026 Social media, ideological sorting, and the emotional intensity of war encourage absolutism. — Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026 The Talmud teaches that Jerusalem was destroyed not only because of hatred, but because of sinat chinam, baseless hatred fueled by moral absolutism. — Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for absolutism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for absolutism

Noun

While Queen Romana projected the image of a supreme ruler who alternated between benevolence and tyranny, Didulo the person was all too human.

— Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
Fandom has been around since the advent of mass media, but with that old world dying and the new one (bluntly summarized, its main features are social media plus the tyranny of the algorithm) very much born, now is the time of fangirls.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of tyranny

Noun

Outside of dictatorships, modern central bankers generally don’t have to fear for their lives, but they are sometimes subjected to heavy criticism.

— John Cassidy, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
None of Argentina’s players had been born when the country’s military dictatorship invaded the Malvinas in 1982, holding the islands for 73 days before British forces recaptured them in a war that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British troops.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026

Definition of dictatorship

Noun

If anything, the film is more embarrassing than incendiary, and its unexamined message — that privileged, straight people can still fall in love under fascism — is, technically, true.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026
Brogin, who said at the time that the law was akin to fascism, fought the city, unsuccessfully.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of fascism

Noun

But attributing Morocco’s triumph to autocracy misses the point.

— Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Not long ago, a senile American president’s plan to lead democracies in a battle with autocracies was being applauded by post-1989 Atlanticists such as Anne Applebaum and Adam Michnik.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

Definition of autocracy

Noun

Mayor Brandon Johnson said Chicago would not yield to authoritarianism and pledged to continue investing in communities that have long been overlooked.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
That’s how the public is able to hold government accountable, and accountability is crucial to the fight for democracy and against censorship and authoritarianism.

— Heather Hendershot, The Conversation, 31 July 2026

Definition of authoritarianism

Noun

Visual artist and historian Ranfis Suárez Ramos highlighted the importance of internet access for Cubans as a way to break the hold of totalitarianism.

— Sarah Moreno June 5, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
His parents’ experience living under totalitarianism shaped his outlook on the world.

— Iris Kwok May 12, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026

Definition of totalitarianism

Browse Nearby Words

absolutions

absolutism

absolve

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“Absolutism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absolutism. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of absolutism

noun

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