variants
also autocratical
1
as in oppressive
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 authoritarian
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
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Recent Examples of autocratic
The United States, which under the last administration imposed sanctions on Mr. Bukele’s officials and likened the president to former, autocratic Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez, is now a strong ally of the Salvadoran president.
—
Nelson Mauricio Rauda Zablah, Christian Science Monitor, 6 June 2025
Power Without Reciprocity and Organizational Collapse Rome transitioned from a participatory republic to an autocratic empire.
—Scott Hutcheson, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
As the citizens of the state struggle to seize power back from an autocratic government, the story centers on Jamil, a war zone courier/smuggler, and Zora, a young leader in the Mulholland Resistance, who attempt to escape Occupied Los Angeles, a city under martial law.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
Advertisement As autocratic states, the Gulf kingdoms were also eager clients for an Israeli tech sector that had grown out of its military.
—Karl Vick, Time, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Nelson Mauricio Rauda Zablah, Christian Science Monitor, 6 June 2025
Power Without Reciprocity and Organizational Collapse Rome transitioned from a participatory republic to an autocratic empire.
—Scott Hutcheson, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
As the citizens of the state struggle to seize power back from an autocratic government, the story centers on Jamil, a war zone courier/smuggler, and Zora, a young leader in the Mulholland Resistance, who attempt to escape Occupied Los Angeles, a city under martial law.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
Advertisement As autocratic states, the Gulf kingdoms were also eager clients for an Israeli tech sector that had grown out of its military.
—Karl Vick, Time, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocratic
Adjective
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What was mostly missing was the occasional cool front that pushes out the most oppressive heat and humidity.—
Staff And Wire Reports,
Boston Herald,
10 Aug. 2025
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Driving in Palm Beach County — home to Mar-a-Lago — the windows are up, and the AC is blasting to counter the oppressive heat and humidity outside.—
David Culver,
CNN Money,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The interim government, formed shortly afterward under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, was widely hailed as a new chapter for Bangladesh: a chance to repair years of authoritarian rule, enforced disappearances, corruption and human rights abuses.—
Shamim Chowdhury,
NPR,
5 Aug. 2025
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For any authoritarian regime, political succession is a moment of peril, and for all its strengths, the CCP is no exception.—
TYLER JOST,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Others compared it to a Greek monastery built on a pinnacle, or a medieval fortress imperious to sacking.—
Tom Zoellner,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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Conflict reached a height of intensity during the Kennedy administration, when an assertive American president figuratively collided directly with imperious President Charles de Gaulle of France.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Access to justice too (something often underrated), where you can’t be killed or robbed with impunity, and where you won’t be arbitrarily deprived of your liberty or your freedom of speech by a despotic government.—
Simon Boas
July 23,
Literary Hub,
23 July 2025
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Napoleon, the pig who takes despotic control of the farm following the revolution — voiced with haughty gusto by Seth Rogen — bears an uncanny resemblance to the current occupant of the White House.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Depicting Americans as arrogant, loud, boorish and demeaning of other cultures, the term has stuck and is still mentioned 60-plus years later.—
Jenny Peters,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
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The most radical overhaul of the tax code in our state’s history would require voter approval in November 2026, and that starts by portraying local governments as cartoonishly arrogant, bloated and unaccountable.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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The tyrannical emperor connected with Atari to debut his 9-foot-tall, multi-piece suit.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 July 2025
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Since his memorable performance on the Netflix sci-fi show, Quinn has starred alongside Lupita Nyong’o in A Quiet Place: Day One and played a tyrannical emperor in Gladiator II.—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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Whether creating targeted blog posts, authoritative corporate content, persuasive e-commerce descriptions, or detailed educational resources, precise prompts enhance engagement, SEO performance, and monetization potential.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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The decision means that in the authoritative opinion of the international legal community, all countries are under an obligation to contribute to the efforts to reduce global greenhouse emissions.—
Daimeon Shanks-Dumont,
The Conversation,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Backers of the project, long a punching bag for populists, now have their own populist target: the dictatorial president seeking to cancel America’s only public high-speed rail.—
Joe Mathews,
Mercury News,
2 Aug. 2025
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Like all dictatorial regimes, the survival of the system and the maintenance of power is the Iranian government’s priority.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocratic. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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