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

The Oscar winner took a walk down memory lane to detail how many artists and collaborators lifted him up on his journey while also taking aim at authoritarianism. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

The thing needed, even in the days of galloping authoritarianism, is to cut the Court down to size. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Another speaker drew attention to the alarming rise of authoritarianism in the United States. — David Pollak, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026

The Gao Brothers, whose works addressed themes of authoritarianism and censorship, became famous in a time of relative openness in China and were exhibited both inside the country and abroad. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

More recently, talk radio played a significant role in the conspiracy theories around Obama and arguably helped drive some of the contemporary conservative sphere’s rejection of the truth and embrace of authoritarianism. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026

So many people who influence public opinion in the United States do so in a damaging and unproductive way because the problem of creeping authoritarianism doesn’t affect them personally. — Sarah Batcha, Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026

Mayor Brandon Johnson said Chicago would not yield to authoritarianism and pledged to continue investing in communities that have long been overlooked. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026

That’s how the public is able to hold government accountable, and accountability is crucial to the fight for democracy and against censorship and authoritarianism. — Heather Hendershot, The Conversation, 31 July 2026