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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of totalitarianism
This lively novel examines the compromises and complicity of artists working in the face of totalitarianism through a fictional retelling of the life of the Austrian film director G. W. Pabst.
—
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
But, as Peck believes, Orwell has wrongly been interpreted as relevant only to an earlier time of Stalinist totalitarianism.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 May 2025
The four-part documentary series, released in April, features interviews with survivors of Soviet totalitarianism.
—Heather Hamilton, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 2025
The skull is a thin barrier against totalitarianism.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
But, as Peck believes, Orwell has wrongly been interpreted as relevant only to an earlier time of Stalinist totalitarianism.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 May 2025
The four-part documentary series, released in April, features interviews with survivors of Soviet totalitarianism.
—Heather Hamilton, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 2025
The skull is a thin barrier against totalitarianism.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totalitarianism
Noun
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In Serra’s work, nothing claims to be site-specific, and nothing claims to be seen, shown, or commemorated—these are the actual conditions of object experience in a social and economic order ruled by the dual tyranny of compulsive consumption and spectacle.—
Benjamin H. D. Buchloh,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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Opposition to tyranny lies at the heart of every freedom movement.—
Daniel Twining,
National Review,
22 May 2025
Noun
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At the Seder, Molly compared liberatory ideas to the wind, an invisible force that blows everywhere and can’t be contained, even in the face of fascism.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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This is a core manifestation of fascism — using federal forces to put down dissent.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Miami Dade College also owns the Freedom Tower, an iconic building that once welcomed Cubans fleeing the Fidel Castro dictatorship.—
Douglas Hanks,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 June 2025
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The order bars entry for most applicants seeking tourist, student and business visas, further narrowing the few remaining legal pathways for families torn apart by dictatorship, displacement and economic collapse.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Totalitarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalitarianism. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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