authoritarian
adjective
au·thor·i·tar·i·an
ȯ-ˌthȯr-ə-ˈter-ē-ən 
ə-,
-ˌthär-
1
: of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority
had authoritarian parents
2
: of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people
an authoritarian regime
authoritarian
noun
Synonyms
Examples of authoritarian in a Sentence
grew up with an authoritarian older sister who thought she was queen of the world
an authoritarian coach who runs football practice like it's boot camp
Recent Examples on the Web
Autocratic The autocratic style is also known as authoritarian leadership.
—
Jason Miller, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
In our age of brutal wars, authoritarian politics, cultures of contempt, and technology that promises to replace us with machines, what is left of the idea of the human being?
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
He's embodied a strongman persona and doubled down on authoritarian rhetoric.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
By placing natural resources from Pramoedya’s novel in dialogue with the oil barrels of Santalum Album Family, Ade drew a line linking Dutch colonization and Suharto’s more recent extractive policies, showing how authoritarian regimes replay the image of their previous masters.
—Hung Duong, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
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Jason Miller, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
In our age of brutal wars, authoritarian politics, cultures of contempt, and technology that promises to replace us with machines, what is left of the idea of the human being?
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
He's embodied a strongman persona and doubled down on authoritarian rhetoric.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
By placing natural resources from Pramoedya’s novel in dialogue with the oil barrels of Santalum Album Family, Ade drew a line linking Dutch colonization and Suharto’s more recent extractive policies, showing how authoritarian regimes replay the image of their previous masters.
—Hung Duong, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for authoritarian
Dictionary Entries Near authoritarian
Cite this Entry
“Authoritarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarian. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
authoritarian
adjective
au·thor·i·tar·i·an
ȯ-ˌthär-ə-ˈter-ē-ən
ə-,
-ˌthȯr-
1
: expecting strict obedience to one's authority
had authoritarian parents
2
: based on the principle that the leaders and not the people have the final authority
an authoritarian state
authoritarian
noun
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