AUTHORITARIANISM Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

authoritarianism

noun

Definition of authoritarianism

as in tyranny

a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power a critical period that saw a number of third-world countries abandon authoritarianism for democracy

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Recent Examples of authoritarianism Another speaker drew attention to the alarming rise of authoritarianism in the United States. — David Pollak, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026 The Gao Brothers, whose works addressed themes of authoritarianism and censorship, became famous in a time of relative openness in China and were exhibited both inside the country and abroad. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 More recently, talk radio played a significant role in the conspiracy theories around Obama and arguably helped drive some of the contemporary conservative sphere’s rejection of the truth and embrace of authoritarianism. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026 So many people who influence public opinion in the United States do so in a damaging and unproductive way because the problem of creeping authoritarianism doesn’t affect them personally. — Sarah Batcha, Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026 Mayor Brandon Johnson said Chicago would not yield to authoritarianism and pledged to continue investing in communities that have long been overlooked. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 That’s how the public is able to hold government accountable, and accountability is crucial to the fight for democracy and against censorship and authoritarianism. — Heather Hendershot, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 And the urgency of Judar’s meditations on authoritarianism, impunity, social repression, and avenues for liberation in the United States in 2026 is so clear as to be self-evident. — Literary Hub, 24 July 2026 Venezuela has run aground under a Chavista regime since 1999, when Hugo Chavez rose to power and created a regime combining left-wing populism, authoritarianism, petro-state largesse, and anti-Americanism. — Rafael Osío Cabrices, Time, 20 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for authoritarianism

Noun

Now, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have thwarted that tyranny even more profoundly, by devising an ultra-fast way to steer light, using light itself as the steering wheel.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
While Queen Romana projected the image of a supreme ruler who alternated between benevolence and tyranny, Didulo the person was all too human.

— Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of tyranny

Noun

In 2021, the SAF and RSF worked together to overthrow the civilian Cabinet that was overseeing Sudan’s transition to democracy after 30 years of dictatorship under Omar al-Bashir.

— Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
Not by tightening the siege on Iran directly, but by tightening the siege on those who help this regime, this terrible dictatorship.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of dictatorship

Noun

Those who advocate for and support communism, fascism and national socialism might do well to remember that millions fled those countries governed by the aforementioned ideologies for America, the good, ol’ USA.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
The city is most associated with two things, European high culture and the rise of fascism.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of fascism

Noun

But each case demands attention from European and British police and intelligence agencies, which are already dealing with a range of similar threats from other autocracies such as China and Russia.

— Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
The transition from republic to autocracy is narrated through (imagined) letters and journals of his closest advisors, friends, and family.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of autocracy

Noun

Visual artist and historian Ranfis Suárez Ramos highlighted the importance of internet access for Cubans as a way to break the hold of totalitarianism.

— Sarah Moreno June 5, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
His parents’ experience living under totalitarianism shaped his outlook on the world.

— Iris Kwok May 12, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026

Definition of totalitarianism

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authoritarian

authoritarianism

authoritarians

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“Authoritarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authoritarianism. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of authoritarianism

noun

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