as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
in times of crisis, when a nation's people are frightened, there are often calls for totalitarianism
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of totalitarianism
The standards for the totalitarianism course between the Walters’ 2025 version and the 2026 version are identical, and the standards of the Ancient and Medieval World History course are similar, but leave several items out.
—
Beth Wallis,
StateImpact,
24 Apr. 2026
While the Russian government has taken steps in the past to acknowledge the culpability of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and his regime, some Russian-language commentators see the display as a massive step back toward denying the crimes of totalitarianism.
—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
American freedom was the antidote to the icy grip of totalitarianism, whether from Nazis or Communists.
—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Jury President Wim Wenders praised the film for its portrait of life under totalitarianism saying the story would chime with and serve as a wakeup call for people all over the world.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
Beth Wallis,
StateImpact,
24 Apr. 2026
While the Russian government has taken steps in the past to acknowledge the culpability of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and his regime, some Russian-language commentators see the display as a massive step back toward denying the crimes of totalitarianism.
—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
American freedom was the antidote to the icy grip of totalitarianism, whether from Nazis or Communists.
—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Jury President Wim Wenders praised the film for its portrait of life under totalitarianism saying the story would chime with and serve as a wakeup call for people all over the world.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totalitarianism
Noun
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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.
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Reading words in legal texts divorced from fundamental moral values will not save us from tyranny.
Noun
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This book keeps my feet on the ground and my heart connected to the greater pulse suffering under late-stage capitalism and fascism.
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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.
Noun
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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.
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Virtually all contemporary dictatorships are cosplay democracies with term limits, elections, and legislatures—the few ruling, as Amos Perlmutter put it, in the name of the many.
Noun
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The Democratic Socialists of America describes it as a system that prioritizes the needs of ordinary people while rejecting authoritarianism.
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This revival finds new power in the intimate story of a family learning to love again set against one of the most consequential moments of the twentieth century, as the Nazi regime rises to power and authoritarianism encroaches on daily life.
Cite this Entry
“Totalitarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalitarianism. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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