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totalitarian 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of totalitariannext
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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Dissimilar Words

totalitarian

2 of 2

noun

as in authoritarian

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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 totalitarian
Adjective
Navratilova defected from Czechoslovakia to the United States in 1975 at 18 years old, leaving a totalitarian regime to embrace American culture. — Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Her character, June — called Offred to reflect her subservient role — was our entry point into the totalitarian world of Gilead, a patriarchal society in which handmaids are forced to bear the children of the elite. — Louis Peitzman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 June 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
  1. oppressive
  2. authoritarian
  3. potentate
  4. autocrat
  5. dictator
  6. tyrant
Adjective
  • Amid an oppressive stretch of extreme heat and Florida-esque humidity that has been punishing much of California, consider, for a moment, the Ice Age.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Broncos also have a truly oppressive defense, and hit hard enough to turn the Chiefs’ fragile receivers into dust.
    — J.J. Bailey, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Noun
  • This was demonstrated in Hungary in April, when opposition leader Péter Magyar convincingly won an election against a long-ruling, right-wing authoritarian.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sep. 2026
  • And the solution is simply to replace the corrupt, racist authoritarian with a governing party that respects the rule of law, equality, and basic decency.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of authoritarian
Noun
  • The main drama involves a rural teen-age tee girl who recognizes the resort’s president as the potentate who evicted her family from their land.
    — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026
  • With 775 rooms, the palace also provides office space for the royal bureaucracy and hosts lavish state dinners for visiting presidents and potentates.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 26 June 2026
Definition of potentate
Noun
  • The regional order rested on American security guarantees not only to Arab states but also, critically, to the autocrats who sat atop them.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But with April’s decisive popular vote against longtime autocrat Viktor Orbán, Hungary now signals hope for democratic renewal and recovery.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026
Definition of autocrat
Noun
  • Suffering from severe financial inequality and oppressed by the yoke of dictators and oligarchs, the people rise up and storm the seat of government.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Before, the two forces had been allies, working together to crush rebellions in Darfur, but also pro-democracy movements that sprung up after the ouster of Sudanese dictator Omar Al-Bashir in 2019.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of dictator
Noun
  • Netanyahu brands Erdogan an ‘antisemitic tyrant’ Netanyahu and Katz have pushed back on the political motivation narrative, warning instead of an impending Turkish footprint in Syria.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Some tin-pot tyrant decides their country really owns part of another and invades.
    — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of tyrant

Browse Nearby Words

totalism
totalitarian
totalitarianism
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Cite this Entry

“Totalitarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalitarian. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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