dictatorship

noun

dik-ˈtā-tər-ˌship How to pronounce dictatorship (audio)
Definition of dictatorshipnext
as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power a revolution that only ended up replacing one dictatorship with another

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 dictatorship Democratic change culminated with the election in 1998 of President Kim Dae-jung, a heroic opponent of dictatorship. — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026 That same teen sensation left West Africa due to troubles from its dictatorship, and moved to Paris under cover of night and a clandestine air flight. — A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026 The Dominican Republic's former Minister for Regional Integration Policies, Miguel Mejía, considered the measure extreme, comparable only to the rupture imposed during the 31-year dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo that ended in 1961. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Up to the time of the Nuremberg Laws of 1935, quite a few observers of the developments in Germany were undecided as to whether the National dictatorship would last. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictatorship
  1. tyranny
  2. fascism
  3. autocracy
  4. despotism
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
  • 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
  • The nation which will not adopt an equilibrium of power must adopt a despotism.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • His dream was nothing less than a new reality, a hopeful future free of despotism, ruled by equality and liberty, rather than kings and queens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of despotism

Browse Nearby Words

dictators
dictatorship
diction
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Cite this Entry

“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictatorship. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dictatorship

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dictatorship

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