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
  • The city is most associated with two things, European high culture and the rise of fascism.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Following the pandemic and resurgence of fascism and brutal deceits, and picking up on the discussions of shame found in My 1980s Gayboy Playlist, Ashby has now focused on indignity and intolerance.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • This was a time of right wing dictatorships in some Latin American countries.
    — Chick Pritchard, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Democratic change culminated with the election in 1998 of President Kim Dae-jung, a heroic opponent of dictatorship.
    — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 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
  • Together with his lover Madame de Staël and their circle, Constant arrived at the idea—not in direct response to the Königsberg scandal but in response to the moralizing public absolutism of the age—that liberty required privacy to flourish.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of absolutism
Noun
  • So many people who influence public opinion in the United States do so in a damaging and unproductive way because the problem of creeping authoritarianism doesn’t affect them personally.
    — Sarah Batcha, Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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 24 Aug. 2026.

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