theocracy

noun

Definition of theocracynext
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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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.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of theocracy The unusually open rivalry within the theocracy's leadership points to a struggle for control over Iran’s postwar future. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026 Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a key power center in the country’s theocracy that controls its ballistic missile arsenal, sharply rejected America’s statement. — Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026 Iran contends that its theocracy is unified under the new supreme leader. — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 This swept away Iran’s monarchy and birthed a state that is part theocracy, part republic, with a handful of semi-democratic institutions swaddled by a system that is ultimately clerical. — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for theocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theocracy
  1. monarchy
  2. democracy
  3. monarchism
  4. kingdom
  5. dictatorship
  6. republic
Noun
  • The new king must steady royal fortunes amid damaging scrutiny of Queen Mette-Marit’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein and stepson Marius Høiby’s rape conviction, which has eroded public support for the monarchy.
    — Jan M. Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The first prince of Norwegian descent born in 567 years, his birth held special significance for the young Norwegian monarchy.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of monarchy
Noun
  • Advertisement And yet the SAVE Act is only one front of the attack on our democracy.
    — Kica Matos, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For four decades, remarkable economic development has been joined by successful political democracy.
    — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of democracy
Noun
  • 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
  • And the Decemberists tried to overthrow the Tsar and insist on having some of the more basic aspects of representative constitutional monarchism introduced into Russia.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2022
Definition of monarchism
Noun
  • In the 2010s, the kingdom and some of the other Arab Gulf states turned to China for armed drones since the United States refused to sell them any at the time.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In July this year, Jamaica’s government said two of its three citizens deported to the tiny kingdom have formally declined offers to be repatriated to the Caribbean nation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of kingdom
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
  • The Prime Minister of the Turkish republic of northern Cyprus, Ünal Üstel, told Turkish media that 237 people had been rescued from the ship, and search efforts were continuing for 23 people.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • This panic is also nothing new; television was supposed to rot our brains, and radio before that, and somehow the republic survived.
    — Mckenna Friedland, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of republic

Browse Nearby Words

theocracies
theocracy
theologies
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Cite this Entry

“Theocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theocracy. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on theocracy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about theocracy

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