1
as in domineering
fond of ordering people around
grew up with an authoritarian older sister who thought she was queen of the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strict
given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint
an authoritarian coach who runs football practice like it's boot camp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in disciplinarian
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of authoritarian
Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Will Mourinho take the more authoritarian approach he is expected to?
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 29 May 2026
The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 Mar. 2026
Khamenei, 87, who had been in power for more than three decades, was viewed by critics as a repressive authoritarian responsible for the mass murder of thousands of protesters and other human rights abuses.
—Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
Adjective
During the Cold War, the United States partnered with authoritarian regimes, such as Anastasio Somoza of Nicaragua and Mobutu Sese Seko in then-Zaire, to contain Soviet expansion, often generating backlash.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Will Mourinho take the more authoritarian approach he is expected to?
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Noun
Khomeini was a leader of opposition to the shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, an authoritarian who wanted to modernize the country.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 Mar. 2026
Khamenei, 87, who had been in power for more than three decades, was viewed by critics as a repressive authoritarian responsible for the mass murder of thousands of protesters and other human rights abuses.
—Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authoritarian
Adjective
-
Among those acolytes is Lucien (Jérémy Gillet), a reedy, repressed young virgin who yearns to be part of the gay community but hasn’t the courage to come out to his domineering mother Christine (Elisabeth Wiener), who also just happens to be the country’s very right-wing health minister.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
23 May 2026
-
Down at the bottom of the hierarchy, or really not ranked at all, is Lucien (Jérémy Gillet), a fey and cosseted twink of privilege who longs to meet Jim but is kept at home, safely away from anything gay, by his domineering mother.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
And in France, a country whose approach to secularism is increasingly contested because of its strict regulation of religion in public life, some 13,000 adults were baptized at the Easter Vigil this year — 42% of them ages 18 to 25.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
In April Judge Roach issued strict media guidelines for the trial, including a limit of nine media members and prohibiting photography and digital recording of court activity.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
You are asked to be teachers, counselors, social workers, disciplinarians, mentors, advocates, crisis managers and emotional anchors for children navigating an increasingly complicated world.—
Susana A. Mendoza,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
Early in the film, as Joe was assembling the Jackson 5 with Michael and his brothers, Joe is depicted as a harsh disciplinarian who brutally beats young Michael with a belt.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Russian athletes are routinely asked to answer for the actions of their government, yet athletes from other countries are rarely subjected to the same scrutiny or treated as though they are personally aligned with war criminals or dictators.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
-
Italy’s triumph over Czechoslovakia in the 1934 final which strengthened the regime of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, for example.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
The tension between the two boils over into a confrontation which only Eisenhower can adjudicate, a task complicated by his own arrogant British subordinate, a wiry and dislikable General Bernard Montgomery - played with a villainous verve bordering on the pantomime by Damian Lewis.—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert,
NPR,
29 May 2026
-
Public policy decisions always need to strive for middle ground, and those leadership decisions often referred to as arrogant can just as easily be called principled leadership.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
The flap has also brought harsh criticism from prominent people in Miami, including former Democratic congressman Joe Garcia.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
-
Without excessive optimism, in a world that is becoming harsher, the Festival, on the contrary, is opening up and improving.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
His chief antagonist is his caustic first wife, Queen Marguerite (Joy DeMichelle), who operates as a kind of a martinet death doula.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Too much ink has been spilled on the pathological gilding of the Trump White House, but how to explain the attraction of today’s martinets to really dreadfully reproduced Louis Quatorze furniture?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Jersey, a single mom, isn’t a tyrant.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Not that Eisenhower, to be fair, is presented here as quite such a tyrant.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Authoritarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authoritarian. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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