variants
also autocratical
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of autocratic
Arrests aren’t enough; there must be a total autocratic military takeover of Illinois.
—
Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
The president valorized autocratic strongmen, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Xi.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
The autocratic czarist regime ruled with an iron hand and suppressed opposition through censorship, banishment, and executions.
—Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
Demonstrators carried creative signs and wore costumes, with messages advocating for democracy and rejecting autocratic governance.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
The president valorized autocratic strongmen, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Xi.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
The autocratic czarist regime ruled with an iron hand and suppressed opposition through censorship, banishment, and executions.
—Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
Demonstrators carried creative signs and wore costumes, with messages advocating for democracy and rejecting autocratic governance.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocratic
Adjective
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Led by a far-right authoritarian government, the country has nevertheless encouraged rooftop and utility-scale solar through a mix of government rebates and relaxed regulations.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Unlike communism and other authoritarian systems of government, democratic socialists believe in democracy.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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As a young man, he was raised by his domineering father (Charles Dance), who sits with him and teaches him about the sciences.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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More relevant to this show, Ross also directed the fine 2016 film Captain Fantastic, starring Viggo Mortensen as a domineering father who isolates his six children from society.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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These political executions are a callous attempt by the authorities to frighten and silence an increasingly restive population no longer willing to accept their corrupt and oppressive rule.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Unlike the oppressive governments that have been affiliated with the socialist movement, modern-day democratic socialism strictly advocates for policies that can be enacted without threatening the power of the people.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This version of Ryan was arrogant, unable to conceal pride in his accomplishment.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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So long as that situation continues, the 43-year-old’s allegedly arrogant and stand-offish treatment of his players will not worry the club hierarchy too much.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Landor should ahve been protected by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, passed unanimously by Congress in 2000 to prevent state and local prisons from placing arbitrary or unnecessary restrictions on religious practices.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
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The notion of a non-arbitrary, standard length got a boost in the early days of physics, with the idea of a length that could be held to a standard that anyone on Earth could adhere to.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Especially right now, when most of whatever happens next would seem to be determined by arbitrary and despotic centers of earthly power.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
7 Oct. 2025
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The emergency has become the rule, transforming exceptional powers into the ordinary machinery of despotic governance.—
Beatriz Magaloni,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The statement had a clear connection to the musical's plot surrounding the tyrannical Wizard and Elphaba's rebellion.—
Patrick Gomez,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
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Fitzpatrick, a preeminent historian of the Soviet Union, offers a concise account of Joseph Stalin’s rise to supreme power, his tyrannical rule, the black comedy surrounding his death, and his legacy in modern Russia.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Their dictatorial hermit nation is often called Africa’s North Korea.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Trump is unconventional, but not dictatorial.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocratic. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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