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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
  • Casablanca is another clear reference point for an episode in which a café serves as a locus of intrigue for a resistance group fighting against oppressive invaders.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Airport ground crews in hot climates can be exposed to oppressive heat, and airlines must protect their health.
    — Emma Balleste, CNN Money, 12 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
  • Its attempts to do so, most notably by interweaving elements of 1939’s The Wizard of Oz — including a CGI lion voiced by Colman Domingo — are heavy-handed acts of fan service that feel arbitrary.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Indeed, the representatives of that Government assert that the people of Hawaii are unfit for popular government and frankly avow that they can be best ruled by arbitrary or despotic power.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of arbitrary
Adjective
  • The comedy of errors that follows as Ina attempts to solve the nation’s problems, from traffic congestion to energy crisis, doubles as a critique of the despotic regime and the tumult of living in such hellish times.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Indeed, the representatives of that Government assert that the people of Hawaii are unfit for popular government and frankly avow that they can be best ruled by arbitrary or despotic power.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 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 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of autocratic for Spanish Speakers

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