as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
having just thrown off the yoke of Great Britain, the American Founding Fathers were adamantly opposed to establishing some form of homegrown autarchy
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Recent Examples of autarchy
But that’s the point: These people don’t live in an autarchy.
—
David Marchesephotograph By Christopher Anderson/magnum, For The New York Times, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2022
But Russia’s economy is far too small to be an autarchy.
—Robert Zubrin, National Review, 10 May 2021
David Marchesephotograph By Christopher Anderson/magnum, For The New York Times, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2022
But Russia’s economy is far too small to be an autarchy.
—Robert Zubrin, National Review, 10 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autarchy
Noun
-
The new aircraft will challenge that tyranny with non-stop, point to point service between the largest cities in Australia and Great Britain.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
The vaunted ability of mass media to unify the globe here comes off as a benevolent form of tyranny, of a consensual unanimity in which the bearer of truth gains total attention, total acceptance, and total gratitude.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Public anger over Chun’s dictatorship led to massive nationwide protests in 1987, forcing him to accept a constitutional revision introducing direct presidential elections, which is widely seen as the start of South Korea’s transition to democracy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
The trophy did not change any laws or soften the dictatorship’s grip on culture and society, but for 90 minutes at a time, none of that was the point.—
Julia Vargas Jones,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Antifa is short for anti-fascist or anti-fascism.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
The demonstration, which had been previously organized by a hodgepodge of activist groups after weeks of negotiations with local authorities, was otherwise peaceful — with environmentalists, women’s rights advocates, supporters of Palestinians and foes of imperialism, fascism and capitalism.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
The good ones who are trying to carefully transition a country from democracy to autocracy don't do it overnight.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
-
Once in office, Putin installed Vadim as an adviser to help consolidate his administration into an autocracy responsible for the suppression of civil liberties, for wars in Chechnya and Ukraine, and for a campaign of disinformation and interference in Western democracies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Other World Cup tournaments were far from flawless, from the authoritarianism of Russia in 2018 and the human rights concerns of Qatar in 2022, right back to the tournaments held under Mussolini’s Italy in 1934 and Argentina’s junta in 1978.—
Abigail Williams,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
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Similar charges were leveled against several other rival candidates ahead of the election, spurring accusations of authoritarianism and corruption against Pashinyan’s government.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Autarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autarchy. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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