variants also autocratical
Definition of autocraticnext
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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 autocratic Indeed, the King would later establish the Instrument of Foundation of the Royal Academy as a more autocratic counterpart. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 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 Activists in the industrial labor movement, the Congress of Industrial Organizations, compared their autocratic bosses to King George III and insisted that every American, native-born or immigrant, had the right to join a union and go on strike. Michael Kazin, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocratic
Adjective
  • China is, of course, an authoritarian state which has been criticized for maintaining a mass-surveillance system, while Brazil regained democracy in 1985 after two decades of military dictatorship.
    Harry Booth, Time, 26 June 2026
  • Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s 2018 book, How Democracies Die, argues that the most decisive figures in the success or failure of an authoritarian attempt are the would-be authoritarian’s ideological allies.
    Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • Musk’s company has inked lucrative AI deals with Anthropic and Google and plans to be the domineering firm behind orbital data centers, which SpaceX has said could be deployed as early as 2028.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • Many figures within evangelicalism have promoted an aggressive, domineering, even abusive view of manhood—affixing to it, as Du Mez argues, the label biblical.
    Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Adjective
  • Dealing with extreme heat in India, where oppressive temperatures have become a matter of routine in recent years, revealed another disconnect.
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 25 June 2026
  • The Shah was so corrupt and oppressive that the 1979 revolution was almost inevitable.
    John M. Crisp, Mercury News, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • West Germany, arrogant attitude adjusted, pounded Chile, 4-1.
    David j. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
  • Lasso, in his initial introduction to audiences, wasn’t the warm, pun-loving, inspirational coach audiences would eventually embrace through Apple +, but a slightly arrogant buffoon parodying the average American sports fan.
    Charles Moss, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Adjective
  • Hundreds of people have been detained and Serbia's police was accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 June 2026
  • Hundreds of people have been detained and Serbia’s police was accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026
Adjective
  • 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
  • The Academy rules work for countries with democratic governments but not for countries with despotic regimes.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 4 May 2026
Adjective
  • This dooms the kingdom to the tyrannical rule of the villainous Priscilla (Nikki Glaser), who swoops in and snatches the throne.
    Kevin Giraud, Variety, 23 June 2026
  • The bony villain is a warlock who stole the throne of Eternia from King Randor and now rules it with a tyrannical fist.
    Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
Adjective
  • As pointed out by Cox, Zagallo was only brought in as manager in the March of 1970 after his predecessor, Saldanha, had fallen out with Brazil’s dictatorial president Emilio Medici.
    Will Jeanes, New York Times, 20 June 2026
  • Yet, the courage and determination of lawyers who insist upon proper enforcement of the law, even in corrupt and dictatorial regimes, stand as their own form of powerful dissent.
    Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocratic. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.

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