variants
also autocratical
1
as in oppressive
exercising power or authority without interference by others
democracy is supposed to protect the people against the rise of autocratic rulers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
an autocratic Boy Scout leader who is under the delusion that he's still an army colonel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of autocratic
And as autocratic alignments cohere, Washington must face the prospect that a war that starts in one region could spill over into others—and that the next country the United States fights could receive aid from its autocratic friends.
—
Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
While Trump’s opponents may view that attitude as one more manifestation of his autocratic instincts, his complaint is grounded in legitimate concerns about the separation of powers that presidents of both parties have raised for many years.
—Jacob Sullum, Orange County Register, 24 Feb. 2025
European leaders are aghast at America’s autocratic lurch.
—David Axe, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Image The years since, through the first Trump presidency, the Jan. 6 riot, the impeachments and autocratic rhetoric, have not appreciably changed Michaels’s approach to political sketches.
—Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
While Trump’s opponents may view that attitude as one more manifestation of his autocratic instincts, his complaint is grounded in legitimate concerns about the separation of powers that presidents of both parties have raised for many years.
—Jacob Sullum, Orange County Register, 24 Feb. 2025
European leaders are aghast at America’s autocratic lurch.
—David Axe, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Image The years since, through the first Trump presidency, the Jan. 6 riot, the impeachments and autocratic rhetoric, have not appreciably changed Michaels’s approach to political sketches.
—Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocratic
Adjective
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This gripping series takes viewers into insidious modern-day cults through the unique lens of members who endured unspeakable trauma and the shocking investigations into these oppressive groups.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Dominic Frey is a member of the oppressive class and everything Silas should despise — but now their mutual discretion is all that’s keeping them from punishment for their crimes of passion.—
Olivia Waite,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Fragile post-conflict governments often struggle to maintain popular support, and without a strong commitment to justice and accountability, there is a real risk that authoritarian tendencies will resurface.—
PATRICK VINCK,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Mar. 2025
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The futuristic worlds that she’s created reflect that, from the dark and dismal cityscapes to the authoritarian prisoner ships run entirely by soulless robots.—
Kyle Wilson,
Rolling Stone,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But against Spain, the imperious combination that has been lacking for Wiegman’s side over the past 12 months returned.—
Michael Cox,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Wilson, a former university president with an imperious air, returned from Europe a hero.—
Dexter Filkins,
The New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The notion that these companies were sovereign enclaves of pitilessly despotic geniuses is a myth of recent vintage.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
The New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2025
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Most humans who have ever lived have done so under despotic regimes.—
Stephen D. Krasner,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Feb. 2020
Adjective
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The actor has one daughter with ex-wife Melanie Griffith and has been dating his girlfriend Nicole Kimpel since 2014. 05 of 09 John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad The actor behind the arrogant Lord Farquaad boasts an impressive career that began decades before Shrek came out in 2001.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
1 Mar. 2025
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Many members of its board appeared arrogant in the face of questions from the prosecutor or one of the lawyers.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The Constitution that resulted outlined a separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, serving together as a system of checks and balances to prevent the kind of tyrannical rule that the colonies fought to free themselves from.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
TIME,
20 Feb. 2025
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The tyrannical showrunner, Cal, is our victim of the week, done in by his (in her mind) long-suffering leading lady, Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf, what a get!), who finally has a chance to put her classical training to work in a production of Macbeth in London.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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LLMs don’t use E-E-A-T the same way as search engines, but authoritative sources still shape their responses.—
Nick Brown,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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His timely break into a skating lane and McTavish’s authoritative pass synergized perfectly to turn a rush without numbers into a go-ahead goal, Strome’s ninth.—
Andrew Knoll,
Orange County Register,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This concentration of authority is a legacy of decades of dictatorial rule before South Korea’s transition to democracy in 1987.—
ROBERT E. KELLY,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2025
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Though Yoon rescinded the decree after just six hours, the martial law imposition was the first of its kind in South Korea in more than 40 years and evoked painful memories of past dictatorial rules in the 1960s-80s.—
Danielle Wallace,
Fox News,
26 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocratic. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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