authoritarian Hear it!

authoritarian Definition

au·thori·tar·ian (ə t̸hôr′ə terē ən, -t̸här′-)

adjective

believing in, relating to, characterized by, or enforcing unquestioning obedience to authority, as that of a dictator, rather than individual freedom of judgment and action

Etymology: authorit(y) + -arian

noun

a person who advocates, practices, or enforces such obedience

authoritarian Related Forms

au·thor′i·tari·an·ism′ noun

authoritarian Synonyms

authoritarian

modif.

authoritarian Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • populism: A more informative label would be " authoritarian populism.
  • regime: America's interest is in ensuring a central, probably authoritarian, regime to keep the oil supply flowing.
  • streak: As in other areas of its political project Labor's educational policies have a strong moral authoritarian streak.
  • tendency: The dangers of Mr Blair's authoritarian tendencies are amplified by the nature of those about him.
  • dictatorship: The hideous abuse of human rights in right-wing, authoritarian dictatorships is ignored or smoothed over.
  • instinct: Our liberal and authoritarian instincts each struggle for attention.

Modifying Another Word

  • increasingly: In its place an increasingly authoritarian bureaucracy was gaining strength.
  • highly: Singapore, for example a supposedly highly authoritarian state has an infinitely better education system for developing creative brains.
  • extremely: Hyndman was extremely authoritarian and tried to restrict internal debate about party policy.
  • too: It may very well be that others who are supposed to lead you are too authoritarian.
  • very: First it was a very authoritarian bunch of comments and he wondered if he should switch the comments off.
  • not: Resonance is not authoritarian; yet it's an offer you cannot refuse!

Used with adjective complement

  • become: The government has been accused, not least by me, of becoming increasingly authoritarian.
  • call: In the mid-1970s, over two-thirds of all states could reasonably be called authoritarian.
  • remain: Communist ideology has long been abandoned, but his rule remains highly authoritarian, with little political, social, media or religious freedom.