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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of autocracy
The Russian and Chinese leaders have a common vision of global politics, anchored by their mutual commitment to autocracy and shared animosity toward the United States.
—
Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2025
The authors point to Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore as an early adopter of informational autocracy.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 Apr. 2025
While their country devolved into autocracy and spurned the West, their small southern neighbor seemed to be moving in the opposite direction—toward democracy and membership in the European Union.
—Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
And the spectre of autocracy is even worse, David Remnick argues.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocracy
Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2025
The authors point to Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore as an early adopter of informational autocracy.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 Apr. 2025
While their country devolved into autocracy and spurned the West, their small southern neighbor seemed to be moving in the opposite direction—toward democracy and membership in the European Union.
—Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
And the spectre of autocracy is even worse, David Remnick argues.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocracy
Noun
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Every other protection against tyranny and political oppression — that is, every aspect of a stable democratic system — suffers a possibly mortal blow if the basic tenets of an independent judiciary and the adversarial advocacy of lawyers are abandoned or lost.—
Michael Mcauliffe,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2025
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Separated by 250 years, these two actions both supposedly raise the question: Just how much tyranny ...—
Rich Lowry,
National Review,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the benchmark survey, known as Bright Line Watch, U.S.-based professors rate the performance of American democracy on a scale from zero (complete dictatorship) to 100 (perfect democracy).—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
22 Apr. 2025
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In the late 1970s, Argentina was under the heel of a military dictatorship.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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No one wants to have their family vacation turned into some Kafkaesque nightmare at the hands of ICE agents emboldened by the country's general climate of incipient fascism.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
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With the show telling a cautionary tale about the perils of ignorance in the face of fascism, Peck cannot help but draw a direct parallel to our current political situation.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The necessity of power sharing also meant that Congress could provide a check against despotism even if the same party held the Presidency and a majority in both houses.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
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And there are worse messages to be putting out into the world via family films right now than celebrating the virtues of kindness and fairness over cruel despotism.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocracy. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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