autocracy
noun
au·toc·ra·cy
ȯ-ˈtä-krə-sē 
plural autocracies
1
: the authority or rule of an autocrat
2
: government in which one person possesses unlimited power
3
: a community or state governed by autocracy
Examples of autocracy in a Sentence
the Magna Carta is historically important because it signified the British rejection of autocracy and constituted the first formal restraining of the power of the monarch
Recent Examples on the Web
In spite of their original values of humanitarianism and neutrality, these organizations have been morally debased from within, using the language of human rights and international justice yet deploying it on behalf of autocracies and against the liberal democracies that created them.
—
Simon Sebag Montefiore,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
The background of the pitch is repression, autocracy, and corruption.
—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
13 June 2026
The good ones who are trying to carefully transition a country from democracy to autocracy don't do it overnight.
—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
If Magyar fails to fix the system and deliver results, a return to autocracy would be likely.
—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocracy
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Simon Sebag Montefiore,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
The background of the pitch is repression, autocracy, and corruption.
—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
13 June 2026
The good ones who are trying to carefully transition a country from democracy to autocracy don't do it overnight.
—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
If Magyar fails to fix the system and deliver results, a return to autocracy would be likely.
—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocracy
Cite this Entry
“Autocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocracy. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
autocracy
noun
au·toc·ra·cy
ȯ-ˈtäk-rə-sē
plural autocracies
: government in which one person has unlimited power
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