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
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Recent Examples of authoritarianism
Even under competitive authoritarianism, politics is still politics.
—
Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Orbán had rigged Hungary’s electoral system, media and courts to maintain power, yet voters still removed him—a result Democrats cite as proof authoritarianism can be defeated.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
The victory ends the 16-year rule of Orbán, whose time in office has been marked by accusations of authoritarianism, corruption and suppression of press freedom, while his pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine stance has put him and his right-wing Fidesz party at odds with the European Union (EU).
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2026
Trump has repeatedly pushed back on accusations of authoritarianism, rejecting the label of dictator.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
The former Spanish colony is run by Africa’s longest-serving president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has been in power since 1979 and is accused of widespread corruption and authoritarianism.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Of course authoritarianism is a destructive force.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Scholars of comparative authoritarianism have long identified the selective application of harsh criminal penalties as a hallmark of illiberal governance.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
For 12 years, Maduro presided over the hollowing out of Venezuela as the steward of Chavismo, the hybrid regime forged by Hugo Chavez that wrapped authoritarianism in a democratic disguise.
—Boris Muñoz, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Orbán had rigged Hungary’s electoral system, media and courts to maintain power, yet voters still removed him—a result Democrats cite as proof authoritarianism can be defeated.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
The victory ends the 16-year rule of Orbán, whose time in office has been marked by accusations of authoritarianism, corruption and suppression of press freedom, while his pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine stance has put him and his right-wing Fidesz party at odds with the European Union (EU).
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2026
Trump has repeatedly pushed back on accusations of authoritarianism, rejecting the label of dictator.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
The former Spanish colony is run by Africa’s longest-serving president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has been in power since 1979 and is accused of widespread corruption and authoritarianism.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Of course authoritarianism is a destructive force.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Scholars of comparative authoritarianism have long identified the selective application of harsh criminal penalties as a hallmark of illiberal governance.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
For 12 years, Maduro presided over the hollowing out of Venezuela as the steward of Chavismo, the hybrid regime forged by Hugo Chavez that wrapped authoritarianism in a democratic disguise.
—Boris Muñoz, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authoritarianism
Noun
-
Of course, the titular Boys will try their best to end his tyranny.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But his stance against the president’s tyranny is a call to action in the same vein as John Paul II’s exhortation to the free world to oppose the Soviet empire.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In just 13 years, Putin warped Russia’s once-promising constitutional democracy into an authoritarian dictatorship.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Mexico is neither at war nor under a military dictatorship, yet thousands of people disappear every year amid cartel violence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Post-fascism doesn’t involve paramilitaries or do away with elections outright.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Eventually, that nativist turn would take America into a series of constitutional crises and to the edge of some American version of fascism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Since 2021, the state has been grappling with slowing economic output, weaning itself off a property market bubble, and trying to find a balance between promoting a free market and stock exchange within a one-party autocracy.—
Joseph Wilkins,Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Oil and autocracy in Venezuela The currency of exchange between America and Venezuela is oil.—
Boris Muñoz,
Time,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
American freedom was the antidote to the icy grip of totalitarianism, whether from Nazis or Communists.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Jury President Wim Wenders praised the film for its portrait of life under totalitarianism saying the story would chime with and serve as a wakeup call for people all over the world.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Eight decades later, as nations inch toward despotism, an art animated by democratic impulses makes a stronger case for itself.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Authoritarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authoritarianism. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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