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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
These tools of dictatorship put people who enjoy dominating and hurting others in positions of power, while sidelining police who are dedicated to protecting and serving.
—
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Across the United States and Europe, analysts and policymakers frequently cite Taiwan as a paradigm of democracy—an inspiring example of how a polity can transform itself from a brutal dictatorship into a thriving liberal state.
—Lev Nachman, Foreign Affairs, 1 Aug. 2025
First and foremost, the state legislature is a single-party (Democratic) dictatorship presented as an illusion of a democracy, with the Republicans completely void of any plan, hope or strategy to overthrow it.
—Christopher Eric Bouchat, Baltimore Sun, 29 July 2025
This was a startling rebuke to those who have argued for years that Syria should avert another dictatorship by conferring greater power on local authorities.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Across the United States and Europe, analysts and policymakers frequently cite Taiwan as a paradigm of democracy—an inspiring example of how a polity can transform itself from a brutal dictatorship into a thriving liberal state.
—Lev Nachman, Foreign Affairs, 1 Aug. 2025
First and foremost, the state legislature is a single-party (Democratic) dictatorship presented as an illusion of a democracy, with the Republicans completely void of any plan, hope or strategy to overthrow it.
—Christopher Eric Bouchat, Baltimore Sun, 29 July 2025
This was a startling rebuke to those who have argued for years that Syria should avert another dictatorship by conferring greater power on local authorities.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictatorship
Noun
-
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose own family fled Cuba, surely understands the desperation that drives people to seek refuge from tyranny.—
Arlene Marcus,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Aug. 2025
-
Had any Democratic president tried to so directly politicize these independent agencies Republicans would be screaming about the coming tyranny.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Prosecutors who push for tough punishments are accused of fascism and run out of town.—
Wendy Murphy,
Boston Herald,
11 Aug. 2025
-
The curious pun read to critics as a dog whistle for white supremacy, eugenics, and fascism in Trump‘s America — a wink to Sweeney’s correspondence to an Aryan archetype.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
One autocracy was over, another was just beginning.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
13 July 2025
-
This liberal segment hopes that the country’s democratic institutions will keep it from sinking into autocracy.—
ANDREI KOLESNIKOV,
Foreign Affairs,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictatorship. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share