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Autos in Greek means "same" or "self", so in an autocratic government all the power is held by the leader him- or herself. Autocratic governments are often called dictatorships, or sometimes autocracies. In everyday life, a teacher, a parent, or a football coach can all behave like autocrats as well.
Synonyms of autocratic
Examples of autocratic in a Sentence
democracy is supposed to protect the people against the rise of autocratic rulers
an autocratic Boy Scout leader who is under the delusion that he's still an army colonel
Recent Examples on the Web
Elections become charades in a lot of autocratic countries.
—
Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
For those unfamiliar with him, Piëch was an eccentric and autocratic engineering mastermind responsible for the original Audi Quattro and the modern VW Beetle.
—New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2026
An autocratic government that sanctions violence.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
It’s also tinged with irony since, as his homeland’s de facto opposition leader, Rahman’s speeches had been banned from local media for a decade by autocratic former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
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Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
For those unfamiliar with him, Piëch was an eccentric and autocratic engineering mastermind responsible for the original Audi Quattro and the modern VW Beetle.
—New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2026
An autocratic government that sanctions violence.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
It’s also tinged with irony since, as his homeland’s de facto opposition leader, Rahman’s speeches had been banned from local media for a decade by autocratic former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocratic. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
autocratic
adjective
au·to·crat·ic
ˌȯt-ə-ˈkrat-ik 
: of, relating to, or resembling autocracy or an autocrat
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