TOTALISM Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

totalism

noun

ˈtō-tᵊl-ˌi-zəm

Definition of totalism

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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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

Noun

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms as a safeguard against tyranny and for personal security.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2026
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

Definition of tyranny

Noun

But that belies what many critics have decried as authoritarian actions by this administration, and these comparisons with fascism continue to animate public discourse.

— Matthew N. Hannah, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026
There’s cheering approval for Adolf Hitler and fascism in general.

— Nathan Taylor Pemberton, Vanity Fair, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of fascism

Noun

The first project is about the disappearance of petty criminal El Nani (aka Santiago Correla) in 1980s Spain during the country’s transition out of dictatorship and into democracy.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
Nixon had called Cuba a dictatorship prior to the interview, and has repeated that position since.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of dictatorship

Noun

Their agenda was backward-looking, morally coercive, and steeped in righteous absolutism.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
The meta story of Life of M’s creation — how Cusk ignored decorum in favor of artistic absolutism — is perhaps the most intriguing element of this saga.

— Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of absolutism

Noun

Look at Brazil, which has come back from the brink of a return to authoritarianism only because the crimes of even a former president like Jair Bolsonaro were duly investigated, laid bare for the public, and the perpetrator punished.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026
Voting is the only way out for anyone who’s unhappy with a government headed toward authoritarianism.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of authoritarianism

Browse Nearby Words

totaling

totalism

totalitarian

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“Totalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalism. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of totalism

noun

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