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
Both India and Bangladesh face persistent unemployment and inequality despite overall economic growth, and until this week, both were run by long-ruling prime ministers who’ve been accused of authoritarian practices in recent years.
—
Fahad Shah, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Aug. 2024
The specter of war is nothing new for Taiwan, a progressive democracy living in the shadow of authoritarian China, which views the island as its own territory and has vowed to seize it by force if necessary.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 4 Aug. 2024
First and foremost, is the theme of the fear of an authoritarian world.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Aug. 2024
While every Venezuelan president, populist or elitist, since 1976 has sponsored El Sistema and blatantly used it as propaganda, Montero has become an eloquent dissident against the authoritarian Maduro’s doing so.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for authoritarian 
Fahad Shah, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Aug. 2024
The specter of war is nothing new for Taiwan, a progressive democracy living in the shadow of authoritarian China, which views the island as its own territory and has vowed to seize it by force if necessary.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 4 Aug. 2024
First and foremost, is the theme of the fear of an authoritarian world.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Aug. 2024
While every Venezuelan president, populist or elitist, since 1976 has sponsored El Sistema and blatantly used it as propaganda, Montero has become an eloquent dissident against the authoritarian Maduro’s doing so.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for authoritarian
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'authoritarian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near authoritarian
Cite this Entry
“Authoritarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarian. Accessed 24 Aug. 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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