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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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
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totalism
Noun
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Of course, the titular Boys will try their best to end his tyranny.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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But his stance against the president’s tyranny is a call to action in the same vein as John Paul II’s exhortation to the free world to oppose the Soviet empire.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Post-fascism doesn’t involve paramilitaries or do away with elections outright.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
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Eventually, that nativist turn would take America into a series of constitutional crises and to the edge of some American version of fascism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 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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American freedom was the antidote to the icy grip of totalitarianism, whether from Nazis or Communists.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
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Jury President Wim Wenders praised the film for its portrait of life under totalitarianism saying the story would chime with and serve as a wakeup call for people all over the world.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Iran’s ruling system is often described in political terms, but critics and former insiders say its core is far more radical — a belief structure rooted in religious absolutism, messianic expectation and a worldview that leaves little room for compromise.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
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Advice or even just notions—only check email after noon; never do 10 reps of crunches—solidify into absolutism or vanish.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Even under competitive authoritarianism, politics is still politics.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Orbán had rigged Hungary’s electoral system, media and courts to maintain power, yet voters still removed him—a result Democrats cite as proof authoritarianism can be defeated.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Totalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalism. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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