as in oppressive
controlling the people of a country in a very strict way with complete power that cannot be opposed
A totalitarian state that did not even allow outsiders to visit.
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as in authoritarian
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of totalitarian
Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The first thing the Islamic Republic did, like any totalitarian system, was take away our right to live.
—Azar Nafisi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
Sarah Todd, Quartz, 27 Dec. 2019
Some of his most popular works were surrealistic fantasies set in grisly worlds run by totalitarians and conformists.
—Fox News, 28 June 2018
See All Example Sentences for totalitarian
Adjective
The sport of wrestling, a national pastime in Iran, has been hit hard by the Iranian regime’s slaughter of protesters seeking to end 47 years of Islamist totalitarian rule in the country.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The first thing the Islamic Republic did, like any totalitarian system, was take away our right to live.
—Azar Nafisi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
And there’s another reason why totalitarians capable of horrific human rights violations are a real hosting nightmare.
—Sarah Todd, Quartz, 27 Dec. 2019
Some of his most popular works were surrealistic fantasies set in grisly worlds run by totalitarians and conformists.
—Fox News, 28 June 2018
See All Example Sentences for totalitarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totalitarian
Adjective
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Another wonderful cold-season brassica, cauliflower can benefit from a head start indoors, which gives it time to be transplanted and reach maturity outdoors before the summer heat becomes too oppressive.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The pain and exhaustion and grief are so real and oppressive, the camera never dares set a foot outside.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Khamenei, 87, who had been in power for more than three decades, was viewed by critics as a repressive authoritarian responsible for the mass murder of thousands of protesters and other human rights abuses.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Maduro — a left-wing authoritarian who ruled Venezuela for more than a decade while ignoring election results — was not just another foreign dictator.—
Dustin Olson,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Biden put this sentiment into action by working with Netanyahu despite serious moral and political failures in Gaza, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on NATO expansion, and with Gulf potentates on the region’s security architecture.—
James Jeffrey,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Nov. 2025
-
Why don’t all the rich potentates, sheiks, oligarchs and MAGA dictators meet and fix it?—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
Noun
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And Barack Obama deployed the military to take out Libyan autocrat Muammar Gaddafi.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
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Bangladesh votes on Thursday in the first election since a Gen Z rebellion toppled an ageing autocrat – an uprising tens of millions of young people dreamt could chart a new course for their country.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The organization recognized her history of opposing former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and named her the 2025 recipient of the prize in October.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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The title refers to the million Syrian refugees that were admitted into Germany during the brutal civil war that culminated with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Moscow in November 2024.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All kings and tyrants fail in the end.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Killing the tyrant doesn’t assure the tyranny will end.—
Nolan Finley,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Totalitarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalitarian. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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