autocracy

noun

ȯ-ˈtä-krə-sē How to pronounce autocracy (audio)
Definition of autocracynext
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

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 Rights groups say the human rights post is more critical than ever as autocracies gain influence globally. — Andrea Shalal, USA Today, 28 July 2026 The monastic Wiesler eventually comes to believe Dreyman is harmless and in the process doubts the very foundations of autocracy itself. — David Faris, TheWeek, 27 July 2026 Worse, many of the 92 autocracies around the world are becoming more repressive. — José Kaire, Fortune, 19 July 2026 About half of all autocracies have experienced similar trajectories after opening their economies. — José Kaire, The Conversation, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for autocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocracy
  1. tyranny
  2. dictatorship
  3. fascism
  4. despotism
  5. authoritarianism
Noun
  • With neither reality nor imagination offering an escape from tyranny, the film asks whether hope, memory and love can persevere when war threatens to extinguish them all.
    — Alexandra Patterson, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Now, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have thwarted that tyranny even more profoundly, by devising an ultra-fast way to steer light, using light itself as the steering wheel.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • In 1982, Argentina’s then-military dictatorship invaded the Falklands.
    — Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In 1982, Argentina's then-military dictatorship invaded the Falklands.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • In Conversation What Wiemar Germany’s theater can teach us about artistic expression in the shadow of rising fascism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
  • And yet, amid their country’s slide into fascism, these folks persisted — for a while longer, at least.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • The nation which will not adopt an equilibrium of power must adopt a despotism.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • His dream was nothing less than a new reality, a hopeful future free of despotism, ruled by equality and liberty, rather than kings and queens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of despotism
Noun
  • 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
Definition of authoritarianism

Browse Nearby Words

autochthons
autocracy
autocrat
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Cite this Entry

“Autocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocracy. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on autocracy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about autocracy

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