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 Sunday night's apparent victory by Lula marked the first time since Brazil's military dictatorship ended in 1985 that the second-highest vote-getter in the first-round of elections won the presidency. — Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026 From union leader to president Lula rose to national prominence as the leader of a metalworkers' union that organized strikes that helped bring down Brazil's dictatorship in the 1980s. — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026 Sunday night’s victory by Lula marked the first time since Brazil’s military dictatorship ended in 1985 that the second-highest vote-getter in the first-round elections won the presidency. — ElÉonore Hughes, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026 Lula’s victory marked the first time since Brazil’s military dictatorship ended in 1985 that the second-place finisher in the first round went on to win the presidency. — David Unsworth , Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictatorship
  1. tyranny
  2. fascism
  3. autocracy
  4. despotism
Noun
  • The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms as a safeguard against tyranny and for personal security.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2026
  • All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • Having witnessed the rise of fascism up close, Morgenthau was shocked to find that so many Americans believed that human nature was fundamentally good, that peace was the normal condition of humanity, and that history was a story of progress.
    — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But that belies what many critics have decried as authoritarian actions by this administration, and these comparisons with fascism continue to animate public discourse.
    — Matthew N. Hannah, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • As in any tin-pot autocracy, this was the price of doing business.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Fighting autocracy and inequality The Ford Foundation frames its new plan as its answer to rising autocracy, widening inequality, and fading public trust.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of autocracy
Noun
  • Fed up with Shockley’s managerial despotism, Noyce—along with seven colleagues, who became known as the Traitorous Eight—defected to found a rival firm, Fairchild Semiconductor, and then defected again to found Intel.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The nation which will not adopt an equilibrium of power must adopt a despotism.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of despotism

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dictators
dictatorship
diction
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Cite this Entry

“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictatorship. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dictatorship

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dictatorship

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