Synonyms of authoritarianism

authoritarianism

noun

as in tyranny

a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power

a critical period that saw a number of third-world countries abandon authoritarianism for democracy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tyranny
• dictatorship
• fascism
• autocracy
• Communism
• totalitarianism
• despotism
• absolutism
• monarchy
• autarchy
• totalism
• Caesarism
• oppression
• czarism
• Nazism
• monarchism
• domination
• monocracy
• Big Brother
• Big Brotherism

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• democracy
• freedom
• self-government
• self-rule
• self-governance
• autonomy
• sovereignty
• self-determination

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of authoritarianism

Democrats can’t seem to deliver lower costs or quality of life, let alone take on the existential threats of climate change and authoritarianism. — Ryder Kessler, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026

And the urgency of Judar’s meditations on authoritarianism, impunity, social repression, and avenues for liberation in the United States in 2026 is so clear as to be self-evident. — Literary Hub, 24 July 2026

Venezuela has run aground under a Chavista regime since 1999, when Hugo Chavez rose to power and created a regime combining left-wing populism, authoritarianism, petro-state largesse, and anti-Americanism. — Rafael Osío Cabrices, Time, 20 July 2026

That doesn't sound like a man who embraces authoritarianism to me. — Nicole Russell, USA Today, 16 July 2026

Uganda has been a source of stability in a volatile region, but intensifying authoritarianism warrants a review of the United States’ relationship with one of its most important security and counterterrorism partners in East Africa. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 13 July 2026

In the wake of rising instances of authoritarianism which scramble historical categories and precedents, does such a dilution matter? — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 10 July 2026

The Democratic Socialists of America describes it as a system that prioritizes the needs of ordinary people while rejecting authoritarianism. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026

This revival finds new power in the intimate story of a family learning to love again set against one of the most consequential moments of the twentieth century, as the Nazi regime rises to power and authoritarianism encroaches on daily life. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 June 2026