authoritarian
adjective
au·thor·i·tar·i·an
ȯ-ˌthȯr-ə-ˈter-ē-ən 
ə-,
-ˌthär-
1
: of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority
had authoritarian parents
2
: of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people
an authoritarian regime
authoritarian
noun
Synonyms
Examples of authoritarian in a Sentence
grew up with an authoritarian older sister who thought she was queen of the world
an authoritarian coach who runs football practice like it's boot camp
Recent Examples on the Web
The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2024
While Trump has always made strength a central theme of his image, so much so that Democrats often accuse him of being an authoritarian strongman, most closely watched on Wednesday will likely be the speech by Vance.
—Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 July 2024
There's already been a number of Republicans who are blaming Biden and some of his rhetoric around Trump allegedly being authoritarian for stoking some of this.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 15 July 2024
Such intrusive technologies already protect leaders in China and other authoritarian countries.
—Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 14 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for authoritarian 
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2024
While Trump has always made strength a central theme of his image, so much so that Democrats often accuse him of being an authoritarian strongman, most closely watched on Wednesday will likely be the speech by Vance.
—Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 July 2024
There's already been a number of Republicans who are blaming Biden and some of his rhetoric around Trump allegedly being authoritarian for stoking some of this.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 15 July 2024
Such intrusive technologies already protect leaders in China and other authoritarian countries.
—Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 14 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for authoritarian
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'authoritarian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near authoritarian
Cite this Entry
“Authoritarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarian. Accessed 3 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
authoritarian
adjective
au·thor·i·tar·i·an
ȯ-ˌthär-ə-ˈter-ē-ən
ə-,
-ˌthȯr-
1
: expecting strict obedience to one's authority
had authoritarian parents
2
: based on the principle that the leaders and not the people have the final authority
an authoritarian state
authoritarian
noun
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