autocratic

adjective

ˌȯ-tə-ˈkra-tik How to pronounce autocratic (audio)
variants also autocratical
Definition of autocraticnext
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

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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 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 autocratic At a Sunday rally in Georgia, Ossoff needled Trump for accepting a new Air Force One plane from the autocratic monarchy of Qatar and for reportedly hiding in a catering truck to switch to a different plane in Turkey last month. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026 Increasing the stakes is Florida’s connection to Latin America, given that many expats settled in the state after fleeing autocratic leftist regimes in Cuba and Venezuela. — Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026 Elections were still routinely held, largely free from undue burdens or autocratic manipulation. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule under the Assad family. — Abdulrahman Shaheen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocratic
  1. authoritarian
  2. domineering
  3. oppressive
  4. arrogant
  5. arbitrary
  6. despotic
  7. tyrannical
  8. dictatorial
Adjective
  • The Fed's protective umbrella helps the dollar's appeal among global investors, who can't be fully confident that funds invested into authoritarian China can be safely taken out of the country.
    — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Soon after the photo was taken, pro-Chinese Communist Party activists there began assaulting protesters of Xi's authoritarian regime — though there is no evidence Zhang was involved in any attacks.
    — Adam Yamaguchi, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of authoritarian
Adjective
  • Sources said Gunning plays Annie, a quietly dutiful wife who has sacrificed her ambitions to raise four sons under her domineering husband, Duncan.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Fern proves himself as a true actor’s director, offering plum roles to Paulson, Watts and two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest as their chaotic and domineering mother.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of domineering
Adjective
  • The combination was as oppressive as the thermometer reading.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro resigned Wednesday following an investigation into a complaint alleging the workplace culture under her leadership was oppressive, bullying and intimidating.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Adjective
  • Elon Musk — Ike Barinholtz has Musk wandering in from another movie, or dimension, a ramble-y, arrogant but ultimately comically non-threatening figure.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The loud-mouthed cameos from ex-soccer players Zlatan Ibrahimović and Eric Cantona in Nike’s World Cup hero film Rip the Script were indicative of this, chiming with an older, more arrogant vision of Nike seen in the ’90s and the aughts.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Its rules about transfers and conference membership seem arbitrary and deferential to the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences, college football's most influential.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Rights and media freedom groups have separately warned of police violence, arbitrary detentions, unauthorized surveillance and threats against journalists.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of arbitrary
Adjective
  • Any transgression of new standards of speech and behavior could put someone at risk of social banishment, in the truly despotic shape of cancellation.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The comedy of errors that follows as Ina attempts to solve the nation’s problems, from traffic congestion to energy crisis, doubles as a critique of the despotic regime and the tumult of living in such hellish times.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of despotic
Adjective
  • Domingo played the tyrannical show-biz patriarch Joe Jackson in the movie.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Her little acts of rebellion towards her tyrannical teachers attract the admiration of three other misfits and the four girls form an inseparable group.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of tyrannical
Adjective
  • Trump launched aggressive moves against the dictatorial regime of Nicolás Maduro last year.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Standing before her guards, the increasingly dictatorial ruler proclaims herself as the Chosen One to the people of King's Landing.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dictatorial

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Cite this Entry

“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocratic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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