dictatorship

noun

dik-ˈtā-tər-ˌship How to pronounce dictatorship (audio)
Definition of dictatorshipnext
as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power a revolution that only ended up replacing one dictatorship with another

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dictatorship China is, of course, an authoritarian state which has been criticized for maintaining a mass-surveillance system, while Brazil regained democracy in 1985 after two decades of military dictatorship. — Harry Booth, Time, 26 June 2026 His story stretches beyond sports, touching one of Haiti’s many mysteries of Haiti’s brutal Duvalier dictatorship and reflecting on the outsize role Haitians have long played in shaping American history. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 Public anger over Chun’s dictatorship led to massive nationwide protests in 1987, forcing him to accept a constitutional revision introducing direct presidential elections, which is widely seen as the start of South Korea’s transition to democracy. — ABC News, 15 June 2026 Yet Uzbekistan's football rise has coincided with President Mirziyoyev implementing reforms — opening the country up to travel and investmentfollowing years of isolation and dictatorship under former President Islam Karimov. — Charles Maynes, NPR, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dictatorship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictatorship
  1. tyranny
  2. fascism
  3. autocracy
  4. despotism
Noun
  • In its vision of a desolate America ruled by tyranny and militia, the United States becomes, in the eyes of those who live in its pre-industrial ruins, an idealized symbol of better times.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026
  • Reading words in legal texts divorced from fundamental moral values will not save us from tyranny.
    — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • This book keeps my feet on the ground and my heart connected to the greater pulse suffering under late-stage capitalism and fascism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2026
  • Through blood-curdling howls and rants about fascism, fraud, and fighting to understand your identity, Truck Violence push through ugliness to find something more unaltered and real.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • 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 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
Definition of autocracy
Noun
  • The nation which will not adopt an equilibrium of power must adopt a despotism.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • His dream was nothing less than a new reality, a hopeful future free of despotism, ruled by equality and liberty, rather than kings and queens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of despotism

Browse Nearby Words

dictators
dictatorship
diction
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Cite this Entry

“Dictatorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictatorship. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dictatorship

Nglish: Translation of dictatorship for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dictatorship

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