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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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 They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina's then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain. — CBS News, 29 July 2026 Ortega spoke Sunday at the anniversary of the Sandinista revolution that toppled the Somoza dictatorship in 1979 and first brought him to power. — Anna-Catherine Brigida, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 The 1978 World Cup edition was played in and won by an Argentina ruled by a military dictatorship that forcibly disappeared thousands of people. — Minky Worden, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Imagine the charge, the potency, of Russell’s argument for free expressions and inquiry to subjects of a theocratic dictatorship. — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictatorship
  1. tyranny
  2. fascism
  3. autocracy
  4. despotism
Noun
  • While Queen Romana projected the image of a supreme ruler who alternated between benevolence and tyranny, Didulo the person was all too human.
    — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Fandom has been around since the advent of mass media, but with that old world dying and the new one (bluntly summarized, its main features are social media plus the tyranny of the algorithm) very much born, now is the time of fangirls.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • If anything, the film is more embarrassing than incendiary, and its unexamined message — that privileged, straight people can still fall in love under fascism — is, technically, true.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Brogin, who said at the time that the law was akin to fascism, fought the city, unsuccessfully.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • But attributing Morocco’s triumph to autocracy misses the point.
    — Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • Not long ago, a senile American president’s plan to lead democracies in a battle with autocracies was being applauded by post-1989 Atlanticists such as Anne Applebaum and Adam Michnik.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 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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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 Aug. 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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