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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of theocracy
Economic woes sparked the protests, which broadened into a challenge to the theocracy before the crackdown, which activists say has killed at least 6,443 people.
—
Sam McNeil and Jon Gambrell The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
Rigney is an ally of the influential Christian nationalist Douglas Wilson, who thinks giving women the right to vote was a mistake and advocates turning the United States into a theocracy.
—Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Iran is a theocracy where unelected religious leaders hold massive power.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Khamenei presides over a vast power structure of officials who have much to lose from the fall of the theocracy.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for theocracy
Sam McNeil and Jon Gambrell The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
Rigney is an ally of the influential Christian nationalist Douglas Wilson, who thinks giving women the right to vote was a mistake and advocates turning the United States into a theocracy.
—Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Iran is a theocracy where unelected religious leaders hold massive power.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Khamenei presides over a vast power structure of officials who have much to lose from the fall of the theocracy.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for theocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theocracy
Noun
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The abdication set the monarchy on a new course.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Feb. 2026
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That turned into a seismic moment in British history, leading to Charles’ beheading and the temporary abolition of the monarchy.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Within steps of one another, the law, the press and the community converged to bend the arc of American democracy.—
Alvin C. Hathaway Sr,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Feb. 2026
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The Ocoee Massacre teaches us that democracy is fragile — and that silence is complicity.—
Debbie Deland,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 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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Advisers and consultancies in the kingdom have been saying for months that the market has shifted.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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The ultimate goal is to elevate the kingdom’s global profile in the Middle East and beyond.—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And perhaps most important, by empowering Congress, not the president, to remedy deficient state electoral schemes, the Constitution prevents presidents from rewriting the election code by executive fiat and thus provides an additional safeguard against military dictatorship.—
Jeffrey Rosen,
The Atlantic,
16 Feb. 2026
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In this country, unlike in dictatorships, people expect to be able to identify law enforcement officers by sight and by badge number.—
William Robiner,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The republic has been ruled by clerics since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.—
Max Burman,
NBC news,
17 Feb. 2026
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For these reasons, the next election and certainly the following could be political Armageddon, resulting in the sky actually falling on this republic.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Theocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theocracy. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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