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
The sheer scale of Lan’s misconduct has rattled the public in a country that has long projected an image of authoritarian stability, analysts say — and raised alarm among foreign investors, a key driver of Vietnam’s booming economy.
—
Heather Chen, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Former President Trump has pushed false election conspiracies, used graphic and violent rhetoric on the campaign trail and praised authoritarian leaders, many of whom have broken or changed their country's rules to exert more power.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 3 Apr. 2024
China, author of the most serious abuses, is an authoritarian state that is not accountable to its citizens for its public policies.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Still, the encounters in Oklahoma reflect a pattern of contacts around the world between China’s authoritarian government and diaspora leaders linked to criminal activity — a subject of increasing concern among Western national security officials, human rights groups and Chinese dissidents.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 22 Mar. 2024
In Russia, following a Soviet-era playbook that has been well documented, the staggering amount of losses has been carefully hidden from public view by an authoritarian government that controls major media outlets.
—Tyler Hicks Marc Santora, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
While her poor mother (Gemma Jones) weeps and authoritarian father (Timothy Spall) sputters with rage and the police drag their heels, Edith assumes the countenance of brave-faced, sympathy-slurping martyr in a worrisomely godless postwar society.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Throughout the war, Iran and Hezbollah have backed Syria’s authoritarian president, Bashar al-Assad, with fighters and military support.
—Victoria Kim, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
While reality-dwelling free press advocates have condemned Putin for his crackdown on journalism, some popular right-wing media personalities like Tucker Carlson have praised the authoritarian state in recent months.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Heather Chen, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Former President Trump has pushed false election conspiracies, used graphic and violent rhetoric on the campaign trail and praised authoritarian leaders, many of whom have broken or changed their country's rules to exert more power.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 3 Apr. 2024
China, author of the most serious abuses, is an authoritarian state that is not accountable to its citizens for its public policies.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Still, the encounters in Oklahoma reflect a pattern of contacts around the world between China’s authoritarian government and diaspora leaders linked to criminal activity — a subject of increasing concern among Western national security officials, human rights groups and Chinese dissidents.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 22 Mar. 2024
In Russia, following a Soviet-era playbook that has been well documented, the staggering amount of losses has been carefully hidden from public view by an authoritarian government that controls major media outlets.
—Tyler Hicks Marc Santora, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
While her poor mother (Gemma Jones) weeps and authoritarian father (Timothy Spall) sputters with rage and the police drag their heels, Edith assumes the countenance of brave-faced, sympathy-slurping martyr in a worrisomely godless postwar society.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Throughout the war, Iran and Hezbollah have backed Syria’s authoritarian president, Bashar al-Assad, with fighters and military support.
—Victoria Kim, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
While reality-dwelling free press advocates have condemned Putin for his crackdown on journalism, some popular right-wing media personalities like Tucker Carlson have praised the authoritarian state in recent months.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
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 17 Apr. 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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