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
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
Cooper Hoffman stars as one of 50 boys who agree to participate in a deadly walkathon in a grim, run-down totalitarian state.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 10 Jan. 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
Only the spinmeisters hell-bent on creating a totalitarian superstate do.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
Cooper Hoffman stars as one of 50 boys who agree to participate in a deadly walkathon in a grim, run-down totalitarian state.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 10 Jan. 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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Some are violent in nature, showing guns pointing at the oppressive establishment, usually portrayed as pigs.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Joan Almedilla, who plays Aurora Aquino in the Taper production, said her wish is for audiences to feel a collective call-to-action against oppressive leaders.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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But here, such altruistic considerations do not justify capitulating to a lawless authoritarian in the White House.—
Max Potter,
Denver Post,
15 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
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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
Noun
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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
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These autocrats have watched and learned as Erdoğan has scapegoated various rival groups in his country, branding them shadowy forces unleashed by the American philanthropist George Soros.—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The country’s longtime dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko, had been overthrown, and a new order was being shaped under the rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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That job turned out to involve flying around the world in high style—often to places run by oligarchs, dictators, and fellow royals, on the basis that they would be flattered to deal with a prince.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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West Canaan Coyotes coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight) is a racist tyrant who pushes his players past their limit in order to win.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
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When a tyrant falls, we may be tempted to imagine a final moment of tragic self-awareness—a personal reckoning, like Oedipus blinding himself, or Macbeth raging on the heath.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Totalitarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalitarian. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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