authoritarianism
nounUS /ɔˌθɔːɹɪˈtɛːɹiən.ɪzm̩/
Etymology From authoritarian + -ism.
1
A form of government in which the governing body has absolute, or almost absolute, control. Typically this control is maintained by force, and little heed is paid to public opinion or the judicial system.
- Near-synonyms: dictatorialism; autocratism; totalitarianism (see usage note there)
- But Stalin could not weaken faith and conviction in social justice. Many of the people whose consciousness was not totally sullied with the litter of cult trash maintained an acute dislike of the authoritarianism that was instilled deep within them. At the same time they could not find suitable way out of their voiceless dissatisfaction.1989 July 6 [1988 December], Dmitriy Volkogonov, anonymous quotee, “Triumph and Tragedy: A Portrait of I.V. Stalin”, in JPRS Report: Soviet Union, number 043, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, sourced from Moscow, Oktyabr, No 12, translation of original in Russian, →OCLC, page 219, column 1:
4 more examples
- This is the struggle of our time. The forces of freedom, openness and global community against the forces of authoritarianism, isolationism and nationalism.2017 May 25, Mark Zuckerberg, “Mark Zuckerberg’s Commencement address at Harvard”, in The Harvard Gazette, archived from the original on 10 Feb 2025:
- Working from a psycho-dynamic perspective, Fromm explained authoritarianism as a response to the breakdown of traditional social structures brought about by industrialization and modernization.2021, Stanley Feldman, Vittorio Mérola, and Justin Dollman, “THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AUTHORITARIANISM AND SUPPORT FOR ILLIBERAL POLICIES AND PARTIES”, in Vittorio Merola, archived from the original on 25 Nov 2024, page 635:
- Instead of three co-equal branches acting as a check on each other, power has become increasingly concentrated over the years in the White House – a trend that is now being supercharged under Mr. Trump in ways that, to critics, raise the specter of authoritarianism.2025 February 25, Linda Feldmann, “How Trump skirts checks and balances unlike any modern-day US president”, in The Christian Science Monitor, archived from the original on 27 Feb 2025:
- If Trump defies the Court here, then America will have taken an important step toward authoritarianism and anti-constitutional government.2025 April 10, Adam Serwer, “The Confrontation Between Trump and the Supreme Court Has Arrived”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 11 Apr 2025: