autocratic

adjective

ˌȯ-tə-ˈkra-tik How to pronounce autocratic (audio)
variants also autocratical
Definition of autocraticnext
1
as in authoritarian
exercising power or authority without interference by others democracy is supposed to protect the people against the rise of autocratic rulers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in domineering
fond of ordering people around an autocratic Boy Scout leader who is under the delusion that he's still an army colonel

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 autocratic His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule of the Assad family, which ended when former President Bashar Assad was ousted in an insurgent offensive in December 2024 led by al-Sharaa. — ABC News, 9 July 2026 Fatigue with the stagnation inherent in contemporary democratic institutions is among the key factors that make the promise to break through intransigence by autocratic leaders attractive to a plurality of voters. — Wendell Wallach, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026 But there simply aren’t that many people who want an autocratic America. — Matthew E.k. Hall, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026 Putin was also at the parade, with the three autocratic leaders putting on an unprecedented show of unity. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocratic
  1. authoritarian
  2. domineering
  3. oppressive
  4. arrogant
  5. arbitrary
  6. despotic
  7. tyrannical
  8. dictatorial
Adjective
  • The island’s very existence—a prosperous, democratic Chinese society integrated with the West—offers a stinging rebuke to the claim that authoritarian rule is uniquely suited to the Chinese people.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The reason is that protesters fear that the Republic of Georgia will continue following an authoritarian path similar to Russia’s, crushing their hopes and dreams of being another Western-style democracy that is a member of NATO and the EU.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of authoritarian
Adjective
  • Will stars in the film as Phil Weston, an unremarkable family man who grew up under the thumb of his domineering dad, Buck (Robert Duvall).
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a little too farcical for the moment, and the final cut lands more in a place of domineering intrigue.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026
Definition of domineering
Adjective
  • This stretch of eastern Long Island has long been a respite for New Yorkers seeking a seaside reprieve from the oppressive heat.
    — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Alongside health advice, state media has repeatedly returned to a familiar propaganda theme — Kim’s willingness to endure the same oppressive weather faced by ordinary North Koreans.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Adjective
  • The arrogant, brooding youth is gone almost entirely, and someone far more circumspect and humbled kneels before his older brother.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Fight for the Soul of College Football, as the Hurricanes’ bold, brash and arrogant style transformed college football into something closer to theater.
    — Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • The Geneva Conventions, a set of treaties governing the conduct of warring parties, which were ratified in the aftermath of the Second World War, forbid the arbitrary detention of civilians.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But many residents believed the resulting assessment calculations were arbitrary, according to Ben Glickman, vice chair of the LLAD advisory committee.
    — Haley Parsley August 9, Sacbee.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of arbitrary
Adjective
  • Loss of credibility leads to loss of legitimacy in a despotic regime.
    — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • The pretence of an absolute, irresistible, despotic power, existing in every government somewhere, is incompatible with the first principle of natural right.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of despotic
Adjective
  • Ayatollah Khomeini portrayed the shah as the tyrannical Yazid and himself as a Husayn-like figure returning from exile to save the Iranian people from injustice.
    — Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
  • The Hawaiians viewed the new rules as tyrannical; those with the disease were wont to hide in the hills of the islands, forever on the run.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Definition of tyrannical
Adjective
  • Standing before her guards, the increasingly dictatorial ruler proclaims herself as the Chosen One to the people of King's Landing.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • In 2024, Margo is hired to find the book that disappeared, along with many others, through the dictatorial years.
    — The Know, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of dictatorial

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Cite this Entry

“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocratic. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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