variants
also autocratical
1
as in authoritarian
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 domineering
fond of ordering people around
an autocratic Boy Scout leader who is under the delusion that he's still an army colonel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of autocratic
That could mean the AI itself seizing power, autocratic states using it for repression, or individuals creating bioweapons.
—
semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Carney shot back that his nation can be an example that the world does not have to bend toward autocratic tendencies.
—CBS News, 24 Jan. 2026
However, reports indicate that street protests have largely calmed as the autocratic regime vowed to continue quashing demonstrations.
—The Hill, 17 Jan. 2026
Moreover, the number of green cards going to Venezuelans has increased 600% since 1999, when Venezuela’s previous autocratic leader, Hugo Chavez, took power.
—Matt Brooks, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Carney shot back that his nation can be an example that the world does not have to bend toward autocratic tendencies.
—CBS News, 24 Jan. 2026
However, reports indicate that street protests have largely calmed as the autocratic regime vowed to continue quashing demonstrations.
—The Hill, 17 Jan. 2026
Moreover, the number of green cards going to Venezuelans has increased 600% since 1999, when Venezuela’s previous autocratic leader, Hugo Chavez, took power.
—Matt Brooks, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocratic
Adjective
-
Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s Master, tracing the rise of a teacher drawn into local politics in Bangladesh and moving from idealism to authoritarian impulses, won the Big Screen Competition.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
-
What is unique in this moment is how aggressively one political party is leveraging this and the ends to which it is being used, which is to overthrow democracy and to install an authoritarian regime.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Even though Kenneth was the one to shoot Sheridan, both the jury and the judge accepted the prosecution's argument that Ronald was the domineering brother and had planned and directed the killing.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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In the movie, set in medieval England, Anne (Turner) and her domineering mother-in-law, Morwen (Gay Harden), struggle to survive on the outskirts of society.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Drawing from the histories of women detained for their political beliefs, the work explores how care, resistance and survival persist even under the most oppressive conditions.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Director Tony Williams masterfully curates a mood of oppressive dread from the opening minutes through the bloody climax and explosive final frames, making this one of the very best Australian horror films of all time.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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He is paired with an arrogant young partner (Lou), a second-generation political scion whose personality clashes sharply with his own.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
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In the early years of his fame as a writer, Rushdie had something of a reputation for being prickly and arrogant, but Gibney’s portrait reveals a man mellowed by time and experience.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Judges could reason the NCAA interpreting rules to allow pros from some leagues, but not others, is hypocritical and arbitrary.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Venezuela’s opposition and human rights groups have long accused the country’s authoritarian regime of using arbitrary arrests to suppress dissent.—
Diego Mendoza,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The men who rule the Islamic Republic of Iran came to power in 1979 after millions of ordinary people filled the streets to demand the end of a despotic regime.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The first Mistborn trilogy of books centered on metal-using magicians who attempt to overthrow a despotic empire.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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They might also be saddened that 250 years after declaring independence from a tyrannical British king, the American system of government has arguably less democratic accountability for its leaders than the British one.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
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To be an Iranian today is to live within the memory and continuity of Persian civilization, to sustain an ethics of beauty and embody an act of resistance against an ugly and tyrannical Iran.—
Ramin Jahanbegloo,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The judge was absolutely incredulous about the contractual argument and the independent, dictatorial authority of the president.—
Liz Crawford,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Rubio has been carrying out dictatorial measures at home.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocratic. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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