fascism

noun

Definition of fascismnext
as in tyranny
rule, control, or leadership by one person with absolute power A soaring crime rate and civil unrest were harbingers to the rise of fascism in the country.

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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 fascism Many immigrants who arrived in the United States from Europe, including some Italians who came during the two years between Mussolini’s March on Rome and the passage of the Immigration Act of 1924, left Italy because of the rise of fascism. — Ed Simon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Oct. 2026 There have been great inequalities, great challenges, authoritarianism, fascism in the past, and people stand up against it. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026 The Real News Network Dave Zirin Eager to join the fight against fascism, Zinn enlisted in 1943. — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026 At least a million soldiers fighting in the British and French armies against fascism were Muslims. — Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fascism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fascism
  1. tyranny
  2. dictatorship
  3. totalitarianism
  4. authoritarianism
Noun
  • 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
  • As such, Gulliver’s Travels is nothing less than the foundational critique of the Enlightenment’s excesses, hypocrisies, and hidden tyrannies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • His raspy voice, his beard, his missing finger and the cadence of his speech have been fixtures of Brazilian public life since Brazil’s first direct presidential election after the dictatorship ended in 1985.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
  • This strategy is unlikely to work on liberal Israelis, who view this election as the last chance to save their homeland from sliding into dictatorship.
    — Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Most often, socialism morphs into totalitarianism, as its egalitarian ideals are no match for human nature.
    — Nolan Finley The Detroit News, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Interesting, too, how the project’s warnings about Russian totalitarianism, particularly stark in DAU.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of totalitarianism
Noun
  • While everyday Democrats threw their hands up in the air and wondered what on earth was happening, Garland’s Justice Department hemmed and hawed about staying impartial, objective, and neutral in the face of violent authoritarianism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The convergence of young people’s anger over education and employment, fears of authoritarianism, and concern for the sanctity of the vote poses a serious challenge to the Modi government.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of authoritarianism

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Cite this Entry

“Fascism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fascism. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fascism

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fascism

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