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
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
EW.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Early on in My Undesirable Friends, filmmaker Julia Loktev’s monumental and marathon-length chronicle of Russian journalists attempting to practice their trade in Putin‘s Russia, an interview subject is asked about totalitarian regimes.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totalitarian
Adjective
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
Noun
Following The Life of Chuck, the actor now plays the Major, a military leader in a dystopian vision of America under a totalitarian regime.
—EW.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Early on in My Undesirable Friends, filmmaker Julia Loktev’s monumental and marathon-length chronicle of Russian journalists attempting to practice their trade in Putin‘s Russia, an interview subject is asked about totalitarian regimes.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totalitarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totalitarian
Adjective
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Related Stories Farrelly thinks that kind of oppressive political correctness is fading and that audiences are eager to see movies that eviscerate good taste in order to land a joke again.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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Pitted against the unforgettably evil Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), a sadist who drugs and abuses the unlucky patients in her care, McMurphy’s stand against the oppressive powers that be is tragic and poignant and spoke to the spirit of a time in which so many felt misunderstood.—
Christina Newland,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Guard won’t be deployed ‘indefinitely’ Trump’s use of the National Guard in Washington, DC and Los Angeles has led to some Democrats calling him an authoritarian.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Why don’t all the rich potentates, sheiks, oligarchs and MAGA dictators meet and fix it?—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
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With the pandemic, the year-round population of a once-seasonal resort town swelled with Manhattan refugees, those in the Trump orbit, and tech and finance potentates, many of them serious collectors like Ken Griffin and Steve Ross.—
Ben Widdicombe,
Vulture,
12 May 2025
Noun
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To an aspiring autocrat, power exists so that it can be abused.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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Both would be peace efforts – but Trump is well known to praise these autocrats.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Xi was flanked by Putin and Kim, two brutal and aggressive dictators whom many nations would rather shun.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, Cawthorn’s fascination with German dictator Adolf Hitler was well-documented on his social media accounts, and his opponents tried to use that against him in the general election.—
Danielle Battaglia,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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So, the politicians must do more than push back against the White House tyrant.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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And while the band's frontman Freddie Mercury only made it into his 40s, the song's question continues to haunt people—especially aging tyrants who fear that the icy hand of death is upon their shoulder and want far more time to ensure both national and personal glory.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Totalitarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalitarian. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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