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
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
Ortega modeled his revolution on Cuba, which by then had clearly become a totalitarian basket case.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 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
Orwell famously wrote the book as a response to the dangers of totalitarian rule, particularly the Russian Revolution in 1917.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
Ortega modeled his revolution on Cuba, which by then had clearly become a totalitarian basket case.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 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
-
The dialogue is well-crafted, the Southern atmosphere (Atlanta doubling Savannah, with Savannah here and there standing for itself) suitably oppressive.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Dew points above 65 degrees indicate a high level of moisture in the air, making the heat oppressive.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Yet this year so far has been a dicey one for the Russian authoritarian.—
Daniel DePetris,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
-
Yet this year so far has been a dicey one for the Russian authoritarian.—
Daniel DePetris,
Twin Cities,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The game is a playground for Russian oligarchs, Middle Eastern potentates, and Latin American strongmen—his people.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
7 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Perhaps the most radical element of republicanism was that the nation’s sovereignty would be held by its citizenry rather than by a monarch or an autocrat.—
Tyler Green,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
-
The Administration’s cowboy capture of the Venezuelan autocrat Nicolás Maduro, on January 3rd, prompted an airspace closure in the Caribbean, stranding many populations, none as humbled as the American tourists, gone to the islands for rest and relaxation over the winter holiday.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
At a time when the United States had just abducted a Venezuelan dictator, was threatening Greenland, and was planning a war in Iran, a serious DNI would have had other priorities.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
28 May 2026
-
Dolan earned his reputation with a mix of poor team performance, uninspired front office hiring, and a reputation as a thin-skinned dictator, including banning former player Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden and using facial recognition technology to monitor fans.—
Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Jersey, a single mom, isn’t a tyrant.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Not that Eisenhower, to be fair, is presented here as quite such a tyrant.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Totalitarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalitarian. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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