1
as in monarchy
a system of government in which a religious body holds unlimited power
Under a theocracy, an entire nation officially follows one religion.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in democracy
a group of people who live in a territory ruled by a religious body
The country was a theocracy governed by religious leaders.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of theocracy
The economy is at its lowest point since the 1979 Revolution that brought the theocracy to power.
—
Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
For Israel, Russia, the United States, and other leading powers, these revelations confirmed that the theocracy was developing the infrastructure to acquire nuclear arms and potentially transfer them to its surrogates and partners.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Many in the region are asking: could the Islamic theocracy in Iran, reviled by its people and a cancer upon the world, be next?
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
For forty-five years, Tehran’s Shiite theocracy has heralded its political system as a model for all predominantly Muslim countries—and even beyond.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for theocracy 
Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
For Israel, Russia, the United States, and other leading powers, these revelations confirmed that the theocracy was developing the infrastructure to acquire nuclear arms and potentially transfer them to its surrogates and partners.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Many in the region are asking: could the Islamic theocracy in Iran, reviled by its people and a cancer upon the world, be next?
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
For forty-five years, Tehran’s Shiite theocracy has heralded its political system as a model for all predominantly Muslim countries—and even beyond.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for theocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theocracy
Noun
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Critics say that’s due to the fact that the Sussexes dished dirt about the British monarchy and about Harry’s relatives.—
Martha Ross,
The Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2025
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Joan Collins, a longtime supporter of the British monarchy, will play Wallis Simpson in an upcoming biopic. Collins, 91, will take on the role of Simpson, an American divorcee who King Edward VIII chose over the monarchy, abdicating the throne in 1936 and ultimately marrying her the next year.—
Rachel Burchfield,
People.com,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
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King, kaiser, czar, empire, democracy, European civilization, national honor—the reasons, in hindsight, make no sense.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2025
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Trump’s lies are dragging down democracy, journalism and the climate, columnist Sammy Roth writes.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But a slave mentality remains deeply ingrained in Russian minds, along with a latent monarchism and paternalism.—
Nikita Petrov,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2017
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But for anyone outside the British elite, the constitutional monarchism that emerged after the civil wars did not look much like democracy or true liberty.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harper's Magazine,
20 Aug. 2024
Noun
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The 2025 Tilden Fungus Fair gathers scientists, cooks, artists and children’s entertainers to toast the fungi kingdom — sometimes literally — and is absolutely free to all attendees.—
John Metcalfe,
The Mercury News,
30 Jan. 2025
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Local landmarks are, in essence, silent witnesses to past eras, kingdoms, and tastes.—
Katherine McGrath,
Architectural Digest,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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When Johnson Sirleaf came to power, in 2006, Liberia had been wracked by more than a decade of civil war, a military dictatorship, and chronic poverty.—
John Cassidy,
The New Yorker,
8 Feb. 2025
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If allowed to proceed, Trump's purge of our federal law enforcement workforce will expose America to authoritarianism and dictatorship.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Three Thai women were rescued after a group of Chinese gangsters enslaved them in the former Soviet republic of Georgia in order to harvest their eggs.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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Yet, this republic collapsed quickly following the withdrawal of Soviet support and the subsequent execution of Qazi Mohammad, the head of the Republic, by the Shah’s security forces.—
Sefa Secen & Serhun Al / Made by History,
TIME,
7 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Theocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theocracy. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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