1
as in monarchy
a system of government in which a religious body holds unlimited power
Under a theocracy, an entire nation officially follows one religion.
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2
as in democracy
a group of people who live in a territory ruled by a religious body
The country was a theocracy governed by religious leaders.
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Recent Examples of theocracy
By definition, regime change is systemic change – something that has yet to be seen in the Islamic Republic, which remains under the same authoritarian theocracy that has been in place since the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
—
Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
As such, the system that initially emerged in 1979 was neither a pure theocracy nor a conventional republic.
—Roxane Razavi, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump’s motivation for entering the war has been scattered, mostly bouncing between overthrowing Iran’s totalitarian theocracy and eliminating the nation’s nuclear capability.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Achieving those goals would require a sharp course correction by the theocracy that has been in charge of the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution or its removal.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for theocracy
Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
As such, the system that initially emerged in 1979 was neither a pure theocracy nor a conventional republic.
—Roxane Razavi, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump’s motivation for entering the war has been scattered, mostly bouncing between overthrowing Iran’s totalitarian theocracy and eliminating the nation’s nuclear capability.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Achieving those goals would require a sharp course correction by the theocracy that has been in charge of the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution or its removal.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for theocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theocracy
Noun
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Eswatini is ruled by a king as Africa’s last absolute monarchy, and authorities have been accused of clamping down on pro-democracy movements, sometimes violently.—
Gerald Imray,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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Everyone even tangentially involved with the British royal family has opinions about the state of the monarchy and the damage Andrew’s scandals have caused it.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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European Union lawmakers and many Western watchdogs had no longer considered the country a full democracy.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
12 Apr. 2026
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The myth of ‘Sunshine’ A special session on the budget is bad for democracy.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But for anyone outside the British elite, the constitutional monarchism that emerged after the civil wars did not look much like democracy or true liberty.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harper's Magazine,
20 Aug. 2024
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And the Decemberists tried to overthrow the Tsar and insist on having some of the more basic aspects of representative constitutional monarchism introduced into Russia.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2022
Noun
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This small Buddhist kingdom in the eastern Himalayas between China and India is experiencing growth in tourism after opening to international visitors only 50 years ago.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, separate attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Manifa and Khurais oil fields have cut the kingdom’s production by roughly 600,000 barrels per day, the Saudi Press Agency said.—
Lee Ying Shan,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In just 13 years, Putin warped Russia’s once-promising constitutional democracy into an authoritarian dictatorship.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Apr. 2026
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Mexico is neither at war nor under a military dictatorship, yet thousands of people disappear every year amid cartel violence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To build a bridge between the two groups to put the people back in their rightful place at the head of the republic.—
Aaron Everitt,
STAT,
10 Apr. 2026
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One would, in fact, be hard-pressed to discover within the historical records of the republic a Cabinet member more hermetically aligned with his commander in chief’s agenda than Hegseth.—
Kelly Sloan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Theocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theocracy. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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