1
as in authoritarian
exercising power or authority without interference by others
a dictatorial leader with total control over people's lives
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in domineering
fond of ordering people around
no surprise that the dictatorial manager is highly unpopular among employees
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arbitrary
having or showing a tendency to force one's will on others without any regard to fairness or necessity
even the teachers chafed under the dictatorial rule of the principal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dictatorial
The film is at its best building tension and showing us just how anxious life is under dictatorial rule.
—
Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
The judge was absolutely incredulous about the contractual argument and the independent, dictatorial authority of the president.
—Liz Crawford, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Rubio has been carrying out dictatorial measures at home.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2026
Sharp’s work has been used as an essential guide for democracy activists under dictatorial regimes in countries such as Serbia, Burma, and Iran.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictatorial
Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
The judge was absolutely incredulous about the contractual argument and the independent, dictatorial authority of the president.
—Liz Crawford, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Rubio has been carrying out dictatorial measures at home.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2026
Sharp’s work has been used as an essential guide for democracy activists under dictatorial regimes in countries such as Serbia, Burma, and Iran.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictatorial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictatorial
Adjective
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By definition, regime change is systemic change – something that has yet to be seen in the Islamic Republic, which remains under the same authoritarian theocracy that has been in place since the Iranian Revolution in 1979.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
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Stability without democracy is a replicable model that could normalize the management of useful authoritarian governments worldwide.—
Boris Muñoz,
Time,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the new version, the dramatic tension comes from the singer’s relationship with his domineering father, Joe Jackson, who doesn’t want his son’s solo career to come at the expense of the Jackson 5, the Motown group that put the family on the map.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
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Rethinking the Chávez myth True reappraisals of Chávez and his work wouldn’t start until after former Times editor and reporter Miriam Pawel published a 2006 series for this paper that showed the ugly, domineering side of Chávez and the UFW’s decline.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Bulls don’t want Buzelis to get caught up in hitting an arbitrary number on the scale.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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The advisory does not specify uniform procedures at the border but warns travelers that electronic data may be accessed and that enforcement can be arbitrary.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Refusing to abide by aspects of the oppressive and budget-busting Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is as good a place to start as any.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
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The third was to free the Iranian people from a brutally oppressive government and move the country toward democratic representation reflecting the aspirations and talents of its 90 million people.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As the sun and Jupiter clash, you’re cosmically protected, but arrogant behavior won’t get a pass.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
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For Iran, what counts is resistance, against arrogant and wicked oppressors, chiefly the United States and Israel.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This means that filmmakers out of favor with autocratic regimes—including, in Iran, some of the nation’s greatest artists—don’t stand a chance, and some of the most notable recent Iranian films have been submitted by other countries.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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The civil wars that followed were ignited by violent crackdowns by autocratic rulers of those states, even as outside powers, including Iran in Syria, quickly intervened to prolong the fighting and support their allies.—
Frederic Wehrey,
Time,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The monarchist movement has not governed Iran since 1979, and its corrupt, despotic leader was overthrown in the revolution.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
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My ability to complete Ballot during a genocide and despotic takeover hinged on confronting these uncomfortable truths.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As someone who dealt with overzealous RAs, thank you for shining a light on their tyrannical ways.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
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The Trueba family’s passions, struggles, and secrets span a century of violent social change, culminating in a crisis that hurls the proud, tyrannical patriarch and his beloved granddaughter towards opposite sides of the fence.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictatorial. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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