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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Recent Examples of dictatorship
Public anger over Chun's dictatorship led to massive nationwide protests in 1987, forcing him to accept a constitutional revision introducing direct presidential elections that is widely seen as the start of South Korea's transition to democracy.
—
CBS News, 26 May 2026
And that was anathema to the march of the dictatorships in the 20th century.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 25 May 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, 25 May 2026
Many Florida Hispanics from Cuba and South America vote Republican after fleeing socialist or communist dictatorships.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
CBS News, 26 May 2026
And that was anathema to the march of the dictatorships in the 20th century.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 25 May 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, 25 May 2026
Many Florida Hispanics from Cuba and South America vote Republican after fleeing socialist or communist dictatorships.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictatorship
Noun
-
Suddenly, guardrails are not tyranny but common sense.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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Turning the court into a partisan plaything would destroy one of America’s strongest bulwarks against tyranny.—
Washington Post Editorial Board,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
While India’s media landscape has largely retreated in the face of the Hindu right’s fascism, Kandasamy is one of the few consistently at the barricades.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
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Talking to Deadline ahead of the screening, Loach says the conflict still resonates with the Left to this day as the first international fight against fascism.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Once in office, Putin installed Vadim as an adviser to help consolidate his administration into an autocracy responsible for the suppression of civil liberties, for wars in Chechnya and Ukraine, and for a campaign of disinformation and interference in Western democracies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
If Magyar fails to fix the system and deliver results, a return to autocracy would be likely.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The book circles political concerns that remain relevant today, including empire, caste prejudice, and the dangers of despotism and corruption.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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Eight decades later, as nations inch toward despotism, an art animated by democratic impulses makes a stronger case for itself.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictatorship. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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