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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authoritarianism
Noun
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose own family fled Cuba, surely understands the desperation that drives people to seek refuge from tyranny.—
Arlene Marcus,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Aug. 2025 -
Had any Democratic president tried to so directly politicize these independent agencies Republicans would be screaming about the coming tyranny.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Instead, the Islamic Republic survives as a massively unpopular dictatorship, economically ruined, internationally isolated, and battered by both the U.S. and Israel.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
5 Aug. 2025
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This, in turn spawned totalitarian dictatorships and led to World War II.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 July 2025
Noun
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Stephen Graybill performs this audiobook with the skill of a newscaster who’s recounting revelation upon revelation about the spies on both sides of the war (and the Atlantic) who were using their skills to urge Americans to join the desperate struggle against fascism, or not.—
AudioFile Magazine
July 31,
Literary Hub,
31 July 2025
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Colbert has consistently called out Donald Trump and slammed the media’s growing cowardice in the face of fascism.—
Lizz Winstead,
Rolling Stone,
25 July 2025
Noun
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One autocracy was over, another was just beginning.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
13 July 2025
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This liberal segment hopes that the country’s democratic institutions will keep it from sinking into autocracy.—
ANDREI KOLESNIKOV,
Foreign Affairs,
9 May 2025
Noun
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Mao had also fully grasped the natural suitability of photographic and filmic media for the broadcasting and cognitive technologies of totalitarianism.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
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Hannah Arendt and the Fight for the Truth (Public Books) by John Plotz Hannah Arendt famously wrote about totalitarianism.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
27 May 2025
Noun
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If not for our nation’s First Amendment, our country could quickly resemble a despotism where police forces attack reporters and quash news reports that diverge from the official view.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
15 July 2025
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Can that Huntington Beach teach the rest of us a thing — or thirty — not just about how to stand up to despotism, but how to beat it back?—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Authoritarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authoritarianism. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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