as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
the Magna Carta is historically important because it signified the British rejection of autocracy and constituted the first formal restraining of the power of the monarch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of autocracy
But in an autocracy with a leader who is quick to promote allies and punish dissenters, officials have far more reason to implement Xi’s policy preferences than to challenge them.
—
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
Researchers argued that career anxiety under autocracy creates both pro-regime henchmen and anti-regime plotters.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
For example, in the 1930s, four major democracies (Germany, Japan, Italy, and Spain) became autocracies.
—Ray Dalio, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
There’s a lot of different crumbs of what leads to the autocracy, to the potential dictatorship.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocracy
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
Researchers argued that career anxiety under autocracy creates both pro-regime henchmen and anti-regime plotters.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
For example, in the 1930s, four major democracies (Germany, Japan, Italy, and Spain) became autocracies.
—Ray Dalio, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
There’s a lot of different crumbs of what leads to the autocracy, to the potential dictatorship.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocracy
Noun
-
Suddenly, guardrails are not tyranny but common sense.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
Turning the court into a partisan plaything would destroy one of America’s strongest bulwarks against tyranny.—
Washington Post Editorial Board,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Stolen from his Chilean mother as a baby and raised in suburban Chicago, 36-year-old Kyle Adler finally reunites with her, confronting an identity shaped by dictatorship-era trafficking.—
Vanessa A. Alvarez,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
-
Every administration since the Marcos dictatorship has directed particular attention to the island of Negros, which has seen considerable NPA activity because of the area’s chronic struggles over land rights.—
Patrick Peralta,
The Conversation,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
While India’s media landscape has largely retreated in the face of the Hindu right’s fascism, Kandasamy is one of the few consistently at the barricades.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
Talking to Deadline ahead of the screening, Loach says the conflict still resonates with the Left to this day as the first international fight against fascism.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The book circles political concerns that remain relevant today, including empire, caste prejudice, and the dangers of despotism and corruption.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
This represents one major leap in the direction of authoritarianism — the president directly raiding the public offers to enrich cronies, not just via his corrupt business dealings and pseudo-bribes from foreign governments, but straight up getting checks from the public treasury.—
New York Daily News,
Twin Cities,
28 May 2026
-
With the country engulfed in flames, the conservative government maintained itself through repression and authoritarianism.—
Roberto Andrés,
The Dial,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Autocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocracy. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
