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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in authoritarian
Related Words
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
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
-
In 1978, my father, Ebrahim Yazdi, supported the revolution and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, precisely because Khomeini promised not to become an autocrat.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
2 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Russian athletes are routinely asked to answer for the actions of their government, yet athletes from other countries are rarely subjected to the same scrutiny or treated as though they are personally aligned with war criminals or dictators.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
-
Italy’s triumph over Czechoslovakia in the 1934 final which strengthened the regime of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, for example.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
5 June 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 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
