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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
University students behind more than a year of protests against Vucic's increasingly autocratic rule in Serbia have been demanding early parliamentary elections for over a year but Vucic so far has refrained from setting the date.
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ABC News,
27 June 2026
University students behind more than a year of protests against Vucic’s increasingly autocratic rule in Serbia have been demanding early parliamentary elections for over a year, but Vucic so far has refrained from setting the date.
—
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
At a time when autocratic nations use sport as a propaganda tool, and FIFA seemingly turns a blind eye to the human rights records of hosting nations, the fact that democracies tend to prevail on the pitch feels like a victory for free nations.
—
John A. Tures,
The Conversation,
26 June 2026
Fatigue with the stagnation inherent in contemporary democratic institutions is among the key factors that make the promise to break through intransigence by autocratic leaders attractive to a plurality of voters.
—
Wendell Wallach,
Hartford Courant,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
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ABC News,
27 June 2026
University students behind more than a year of protests against Vucic’s increasingly autocratic rule in Serbia have been demanding early parliamentary elections for over a year, but Vucic so far has refrained from setting the date.
—
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
At a time when autocratic nations use sport as a propaganda tool, and FIFA seemingly turns a blind eye to the human rights records of hosting nations, the fact that democracies tend to prevail on the pitch feels like a victory for free nations.
—
John A. Tures,
The Conversation,
26 June 2026
Fatigue with the stagnation inherent in contemporary democratic institutions is among the key factors that make the promise to break through intransigence by autocratic leaders attractive to a plurality of voters.
—
Wendell Wallach,
Hartford Courant,
25 June 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 7 Jul. 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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