totalism

noun

ˈtō-tᵊl-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce totalism (audio)
Definition of totalismnext
as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power warned that forfeiture of civil liberties for the sake of security would only result in the terror of totalism

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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 totalism Common sense and a mania for systematization, logical thinking and ideological totalism, are constantly at war in the French character, as a belief in instant happiness and a paranoia about imaginary enemies are in the American. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totalism
  1. tyranny
  2. fascism
  3. dictatorship
  4. totalitarianism
  5. absolutism
  6. authoritarianism
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
  • Outside of dictatorships, modern central bankers generally don’t have to fear for their lives, but they are sometimes subjected to heavy criticism.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • None of Argentina’s players had been born when the country’s military dictatorship invaded the Malvinas in 1982, holding the islands for 73 days before British forces recaptured them in a war that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British troops.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Visual artist and historian Ranfis Suárez Ramos highlighted the importance of internet access for Cubans as a way to break the hold of totalitarianism.
    — Sarah Moreno June 5, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
  • His parents’ experience living under totalitarianism shaped his outlook on the world.
    — Iris Kwok May 12, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Definition of totalitarianism
Noun
  • In fact, that kind of absolutism is a good way to become part of another kind of silencing, another kind of injustice.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • The result is the extreme polarization and absolutism.
    — Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Definition of absolutism
Noun
  • Mayor Brandon Johnson said Chicago would not yield to authoritarianism and pledged to continue investing in communities that have long been overlooked.
    — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • That’s how the public is able to hold government accountable, and accountability is crucial to the fight for democracy and against censorship and authoritarianism.
    — Heather Hendershot, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Definition of authoritarianism

Browse Nearby Words

totaling
totalism
totalitarian
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Cite this Entry

“Totalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalism. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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