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
2
as in dictator
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of authoritarian
Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2025
The Chinese government feared the Internet’s potential to enable free expression and, as is natural for an authoritarian regime, opted to restrict it.
—Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2025
But today, this order is fracturing as authoritarian powers resurge and global alliances shift.
—Npr's International Desk, NPR, 10 Aug. 2025
Berlin is now screening Chinese investments and reducing dependence on authoritarian suppliers.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
Noun
Speaking at an event at The Kennedy Center, Trump firmly rejected accusations that his intervention was authoritarian, instead framing the move as a necessary step to restore safety in the nation’s capital.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2025
The Chinese government feared the Internet’s potential to enable free expression and, as is natural for an authoritarian regime, opted to restrict it.
—Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2025
But today, this order is fracturing as authoritarian powers resurge and global alliances shift.
—Npr's International Desk, NPR, 10 Aug. 2025
Berlin is now screening Chinese investments and reducing dependence on authoritarian suppliers.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authoritarian
Adjective
-
Avoid being domineering, but also avoid being stepped on by someone else.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 July 2025
-
My Mom Died is a heartbreaking and hilarious recounting of McCurdy’s struggles as a former child actor while dealing with her overbearing, domineering mother.—
Charley Ross,
Glamour,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
The widespread destruction triggered stricter building codes across the state.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
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In addition to broadening Opinel's appeal in jurisdictions with strict regulations on locking knives, the Opiflex mechanism is designed to streamline blade opening and closing for fast, intuitive knife use.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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By several accounts, Xi was a ferocious disciplinarian.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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He was variously depicted as both a strict disciplinarian and also an emotionally intelligent father figure to the players.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Noun
-
So, this is all an opportunity for Donald Trump to play dictator in Washington, D.C.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Aug. 2025
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This perception stems largely from the grip of the country’s dictator, Alexander Lukashenko.—
SVIATLANA TSIKHANOUSKAYA,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But this act of arrogant bullying should also re-kindle the spirit of hope and unity that swept through this community in the aftermath of that horrible night in 2016, that still binds Orlando in its 150th anniversary year.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
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Harry Potter fans might recognize Stroma for playing the arrogant Hogwarts student named Cormac McLaggen in the film franchise.—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The former Calle 13 member impresses her sensitivity to this piece, originally written by Orlando Brito and popularized in 1975 by the great Héctor Lavoe, giving it new life with her powerful, dramatic voice, accompanied by street guitars and harsh, aggressive chords that captivate the listener.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
15 Aug. 2025
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While the comparison of slave babies being taken from their mommas, and immigrant children being separated from their parents might seem a bit harsh to some, the pain is the same.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But Muir’s co-moderator, Linsey Davis, was a different case: Davis wore a mannish, gray suit jacket and struck a pose of martinet — almost schoolmarmish — solemnity.—
Armond White,
National Review,
20 Sep. 2024
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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
Noun
-
President Trump is, once again, testing the limits of his power, hoping to intimidate other cities into submission to his every vengeful whim by making the once unimaginable—an American tyrant ordering a military occupation of our own capital—a terrifying reality.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
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Jack Nicholson’s McMurphy, a swaggering trickster figure, clashes with the institution’s quiet tyrant, Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), in a battle not just of wills, but of worldviews: chaos versus order, freedom versus conformity.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Authoritarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authoritarian. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.
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