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
Our depressing slide into sclerotic autocracy continues.
—
Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Elsewhere, particularly in autocracies, the data is simply too unreliable to use.
—Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Even as a large Muslim autocracy in the Middle East weathering the boom and bust of the oil market, Iran wasn’t unique.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Right now, our country is flirting with autocracy, as [are] some other democracies in this world.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocracy
Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Elsewhere, particularly in autocracies, the data is simply too unreliable to use.
—Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Even as a large Muslim autocracy in the Middle East weathering the boom and bust of the oil market, Iran wasn’t unique.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Right now, our country is flirting with autocracy, as [are] some other democracies in this world.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocracy
Noun
-
The new Constitution’s supporters, known as Federalists, faced fierce opposition from Anti-Federalists who charged that a powerful national government, unrestrained by a bill of rights, would inevitably lead to tyranny.—
Donald Nieman,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
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Males that tried to rule by asserting their dominance through violence, tyranny and threat did not last.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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If the Supreme Court officially makes the chief executive a unitary executive, the advancement of the public good may depend on little more than the whims of the president, a state of affairs normally more characteristic of dictatorship than democracy.—
Graham G. Dodds,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
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The exec emphasized his excitement about being in the country a few months after Salles’ history-making drama about Brazil’s military dictatorship, a film that also scored nominations for best picture and actress for Fernanda Torres.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
No more communism, or fascism; no more theocracy, or monarchies.—
Richard Stengel,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
-
This is the thing about fascism, right?—
Helen Molesworth,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Bashar Assad regime’s collapse inspired a wave of optimism about despotism turning into democracy.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Aug. 2025
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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
Noun
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The documentary about the perils of authoritarianism from the author of iconic 1984 and Animal Farm premiered at Cannes.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Oct. 2025
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The rise of authoritarianism, xenophobia and nationalism is also fueling young people’s desire to act, as opportunities that were once available to their parents’ generations have nearly disappeared.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocracy. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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