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Autos in Greek means "same" or "self", so in an autocratic government all the power is held by the leader him- or herself. Autocratic governments are often called dictatorships, or sometimes autocracies. In everyday life, a teacher, a parent, or a football coach can all behave like autocrats as well.
Examples of autocratic in a Sentence
democracy is supposed to protect the people against the rise of autocratic rulers
an autocratic Boy Scout leader who is under the delusion that he's still an army colonel
Recent Examples on the Web
Furthermore, although Washington has conceived of its autocratic adversaries as a cohesive unit, almost all their cooperation has been through bilateral channels.
—
Christopher S. Chivvis, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2025
Ukraine may not be a beacon of democracy, but today's Russian government is the definition of an autocratic regime.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
This is not the first time in history, or even in the past century, that democratic ideas appeared to wane as autocratic ideas appeared to surge.
—Michael McFaul, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
The right invented the term Trump Derangement Syndrome to dismiss analysis of Trump’s autocratic tendencies, compulsive lying and generally detestable character as liberal hysteria.
—Michelle Goldberg, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2025
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Christopher S. Chivvis, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2025
Ukraine may not be a beacon of democracy, but today's Russian government is the definition of an autocratic regime.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
This is not the first time in history, or even in the past century, that democratic ideas appeared to wane as autocratic ideas appeared to surge.
—Michael McFaul, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
The right invented the term Trump Derangement Syndrome to dismiss analysis of Trump’s autocratic tendencies, compulsive lying and generally detestable character as liberal hysteria.
—Michelle Goldberg, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocratic. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
autocratic
adjective
au·to·crat·ic
ˌȯt-ə-ˈkrat-ik 
: of, relating to, or resembling autocracy or an autocrat
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