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
  • Before that, the monarchy had promoted a more secular and westernized image of women.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Charles is positively viewed by around 62%, and around six in 10 Britons — or 57-60% — see the royal family and the institution of the monarchy in a favorable light.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 20 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
  • In tiny San Marino, the American pope praises a republic built on freedom and mutual respect, calling it a ‘laboratory of good politics’ that defends human dignity.
    — Giada Zampano, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The Dandolo family was present at the origins of Venice and played a presiding role as the republic’s early history took shape.
    — Nielsen Dinwoodie, Forbes.com, 20 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 31 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on theocracy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about theocracy

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