Synonyms of absolutism

absolutism

noun

ˈab-sə-ˌlü-ˌti-zəm 

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"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tyranny
• dictatorship
• fascism
• Communism
• despotism
• autocracy
• authoritarianism
• totalitarianism
• monarchy
• autarchy
• totalism
• Caesarism
• oppression
• czarism
• monarchism
• Nazism
• monocracy
• domination
• Big Brother
• Big Brotherism

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• democracy
• freedom
• self-government
• self-rule
• autonomy
• sovereignty
• self-governance
• self-determination

Example Sentences

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