as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
in times of crisis, when a nation's people are frightened, there are often calls for totalitarianism
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Recent Examples of totalitarianism
American freedom was the antidote to the icy grip of totalitarianism, whether from Nazis or Communists.
—
Peter S. Canellos, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Jury President Wim Wenders praised the film for its portrait of life under totalitarianism saying the story would chime with and serve as a wakeup call for people all over the world.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 Feb. 2026
This was about stopping totalitarianism.
—NBC news, 23 Nov. 2025
After Al Qaeda and then Saddam Hussein abruptly emerged as incarnations of a new totalitarianism, Michael Ignatieff and Niall Ferguson, among many others, impatiently urged the United States to assume its imperial obligations and impose democracy, human rights, and free trade through war.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
Peter S. Canellos, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Jury President Wim Wenders praised the film for its portrait of life under totalitarianism saying the story would chime with and serve as a wakeup call for people all over the world.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 Feb. 2026
This was about stopping totalitarianism.
—NBC news, 23 Nov. 2025
After Al Qaeda and then Saddam Hussein abruptly emerged as incarnations of a new totalitarianism, Michael Ignatieff and Niall Ferguson, among many others, impatiently urged the United States to assume its imperial obligations and impose democracy, human rights, and free trade through war.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totalitarianism
Noun
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The new aircraft will challenge that tyranny with non-stop, point to point service between the largest cities in Australia and Great Britain.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
The vaunted ability of mass media to unify the globe here comes off as a benevolent form of tyranny, of a consensual unanimity in which the bearer of truth gains total attention, total acceptance, and total gratitude.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Antifa is short for anti-fascist or anti-fascism.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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The demonstration, which had been previously organized by a hodgepodge of activist groups after weeks of negotiations with local authorities, was otherwise peaceful — with environmentalists, women’s rights advocates, supporters of Palestinians and foes of imperialism, fascism and capitalism.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Noun
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Public anger over Chun’s dictatorship led to massive nationwide protests in 1987, forcing him to accept a constitutional revision introducing direct presidential elections, which is widely seen as the start of South Korea’s transition to democracy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
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The trophy did not change any laws or soften the dictatorship’s grip on culture and society, but for 90 minutes at a time, none of that was the point.—
Julia Vargas Jones,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Noun
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Rent it on most major platforms Forbidden to enter the stadium, several Iranian women sneak in dressed as men to watch a World Cup qualifying match in the master director Jafar Panahi’s movie about everyday defiance under authoritarianism.—
Carlos Aguilar,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
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The handmaids’ crimson robes evolved into protest iconography around the world because the story captured fears about authoritarianism and gender more viscerally than overt political messaging ever could.—
Marc Adelman,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Totalitarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalitarianism. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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