authoritarian 1 of 2

adjective

ȯ-ˌthȯr-ə-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce authoritarian (audio)
Definition of authoritariannext
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

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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

authoritarian

2 of 2

noun

1
as in disciplinarian

Related Words
2
as in dictator

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Example Sentences

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 authoritarian
Adjective
Set beside tanks and May 18, a coffee promotion had opened two of the country’s rawest authoritarian-era wounds. — Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 In the nation’s gravest hour, the country’s authoritarian regime has crippled an effective response, say survivors, rescue workers and former officials. — Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 1 July 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
  1. domineering
  2. strict
  3. disciplinarian
  4. dictator
  5. arrogant
  6. harsh
  7. martinet
  8. tyrant
Adjective
  • His domineering physical appearance coupled with his goofy online persona have contributed to the craze.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • Now Moon juggles her domineering personality and the family’s poor finances.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of domineering
Adjective
  • Without stricter coordination, brightness limits, debris controls, disposal rules, and international capacity planning, the next space race could damage the orbital lanes on which modern life now depends.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
  • Not a whole lot, admittedly, since there was reportedly a strict no-phone policy for guests (as well as event staff and security).
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2026
Definition of strict
Noun
  • During his time with the Yankees, Mendoza was known as a disciplinarian behind the scenes, but the team loved and respected his hard coaching.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of disciplinarian
Noun
  • Trump has praised Communist dictators in terms unlike those used by any American president outside the context of a wartime alliance.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • During the Cold War, quixotic Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha built some 750,000 concrete pillboxes to fend off a phantom invasion that never came.
    — Max Grinstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026
Definition of dictator
Adjective
  • West Germany, arrogant attitude adjusted, pounded Chile, 4-1.
    — David j. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
  • Lasso, in his initial introduction to audiences, wasn’t the warm, pun-loving, inspirational coach audiences would eventually embrace through Apple +, but a slightly arrogant buffoon parodying the average American sports fan.
    — Charles Moss, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Wear rubber gloves because the cleaning ingredients are harsh, and scrub the inside of the oven door.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 11 July 2026
  • Pioneer Girl was considered too harsh about the realities of frontier life.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
Definition of harsh
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
  • There’s Cece’s father, long vanished; Ronnie, a predator; Marcel, a martinet; Joel, a manipulator; and a random catcaller in the street, whom Cece sends scurrying away by turning her acting skills to practical use.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
Definition of martinet
Noun
  • Because, after all, as in all of Haber’s novels, the point is not really what is happening in the world but what is happening in the mind—in this case the mind of the pettiest of tyrants.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • Joseph Stalin—the Soviet Union’s supreme ruler from 1929 to 1953 and a murderous tyrant legendary for drinking friends and enemies under the table—was a closet oenophile, the e-mail explained.
    — Frankie Mills, Air Mail, 27 June 2026
Definition of tyrant

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authoritarian
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Cite this Entry

“Authoritarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authoritarian. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of authoritarian for Spanish Speakers

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