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
The trip, though, has underscored how the country of 50 million people, which experienced a religious crisis after its 20th century dictatorship ended, still has plenty of faithful Catholics who have turned out in droves to welcome the American pope.
—
Joseph Wilson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Little surprise that the pair explore the wider context of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup triumph, namely the military dictatorship that sapped national pride and heaped enormous pressure on a team — one who’d stunk up the tournament four years earlier — to restore it.
—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Newsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships.
—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
Democratic change culminated in election in 1998 of President Kim Dae-jung, heroic opponent of dictatorship.
—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Joseph Wilson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Little surprise that the pair explore the wider context of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup triumph, namely the military dictatorship that sapped national pride and heaped enormous pressure on a team — one who’d stunk up the tournament four years earlier — to restore it.
—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Newsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships.
—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
Democratic change culminated in election in 1998 of President Kim Dae-jung, heroic opponent of dictatorship.
—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictatorship
Noun
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For every Founding Father looking to free the colonies from British tyranny, there was a Larry (often called Lawrence here) who suggests that sharing desserts and umbrellas should be prohibited by the Declaration of Independence.
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In Shiite communities, Ashoura is viewed as a symbol of struggle against injustice and tyranny.
Noun
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This book keeps my feet on the ground and my heart connected to the greater pulse suffering under late-stage capitalism and fascism.
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Through blood-curdling howls and rants about fascism, fraud, and fighting to understand your identity, Truck Violence push through ugliness to find something more unaltered and real.
Noun
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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.
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The good ones who are trying to carefully transition a country from democracy to autocracy don't do it overnight.
Noun
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The nation which will not adopt an equilibrium of power must adopt a despotism.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictatorship. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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