dictatorship

noun

dik-ˈtā-tər-ˌship How to pronounce dictatorship (audio)
Definition of dictatorshipnext
as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power a revolution that only ended up replacing one dictatorship with another

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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 dictatorship Building tension gave way to war in 1982, when Argentina, then under a brutal dictatorship, sent a military expedition to the islands. — Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 17 June 2026 Public anger over Chun’s dictatorship led to massive nationwide protests in 1987, forcing him to accept a constitutional revision introducing direct presidential elections, which is widely seen as the start of South Korea’s transition to democracy. — ABC News, 15 June 2026 The trophy did not change any laws or soften the dictatorship’s grip on culture and society, but for 90 minutes at a time, none of that was the point. — Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 14 June 2026 The film follows a pregnant woman confronting the disappearance of her father during Argentina’s dictatorship. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictatorship
  1. tyranny
  2. fascism
  3. autocracy
  4. despotism
Noun
  • In its vision of a desolate America ruled by tyranny and militia, the United States becomes, in the eyes of those who live in its pre-industrial ruins, an idealized symbol of better times.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026
  • Reading words in legal texts divorced from fundamental moral values will not save us from tyranny.
    — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • Voters have already handed a good chunk of democracy itself over to nationalist, religious and ideological fascism.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • The Soviet experience, on top of the rise of fascism, reminded my generation rather forcibly that man was, indeed, imperfect, and that the corruptions of power could unleash great evil in the world.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • In spite of their original values of humanitarianism and neutrality, these organizations have been morally debased from within, using the language of human rights and international justice yet deploying it on behalf of autocracies and against the liberal democracies that created them.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • The background of the pitch is repression, autocracy, and corruption.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 13 June 2026
Definition of autocracy
Noun
  • The nation which will not adopt an equilibrium of power must adopt a despotism.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • His dream was nothing less than a new reality, a hopeful future free of despotism, ruled by equality and liberty, rather than kings and queens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of despotism

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dictatorship
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Cite this Entry

“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictatorship. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dictatorship

Nglish: Translation of dictatorship for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dictatorship

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