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
Many had argued that the banner, which largely meditates on the violence of the Suharto dictatorship in Indonesia, contained antisemitic caricatures.
—
Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026
France lurched from republic to dictatorship to empire before cycling back through absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, Second Republic, and Second Empire.
—Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Driven by memories of past dictatorships, this urgent reportage-style film captures a night of chaos and powerful, collective citizen resistance.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 May 2026
Only the pigs take over with a dictatorship.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026
France lurched from republic to dictatorship to empire before cycling back through absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, Second Republic, and Second Empire.
—Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Driven by memories of past dictatorships, this urgent reportage-style film captures a night of chaos and powerful, collective citizen resistance.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 May 2026
Only the pigs take over with a dictatorship.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictatorship
Noun
-
The balance of power between federal and state governments was the best way to prevent tyranny, manage national affairs such as foreign policy and commerce, and preserve state autonomy over internal local affairs.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
-
Assayas offers anecdotes, a feuilleton of tyranny in which the foibles of the mighty and the ruthless reveal the sentimental side of cruelty, the amusement value of ugly deeds, and the polite side of monstrous ideas.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Taking on fascism isn’t right for every program.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
15 May 2026
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More generally, all forms of fascism begin this way.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 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
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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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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
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The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictatorship. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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