authoritarian Definition
au·thori·tar·ian (ə t̸hôr′ə ter′ē 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·tar′i·an·ism′ noun
authoritarian Synonyms
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.
Browse dictionary entries near authoritarian
- ‹ authoress
- ‹ author
- ‹ authenticity
- ‹ authentication
- ‹ authenticate
- ‹ authentic
- ‹ auth
- ‹ Autex
- ‹ auteurism
- ‹ auteur

