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

People fall somewhere along the continuum between moral absolutism (the belief that right and wrong are objective and universal) and moral relativism (the belief that right and wrong is context-dependent). — Esade Business & Law School, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2026

Iran’s ruling system is often described in political terms, but critics and former insiders say its core is far more radical — a belief structure rooted in religious absolutism, messianic expectation and a worldview that leaves little room for compromise. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026

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