autocracy
noun/ɔːˈtɒkɹəsi/
Etymology From auto- + -cracy, from Ancient Greek αὐτοκρατία (autokratía, “A system of government by one person with absolute power.”), from αὐτός (autós, “single, self, same, alone”) + κράτος (krátos, “power”) + -ία (-ía, “feminine abstract nouns suffix”); see also Ancient Greek αὐτοκρατής (autokratḗs, “one who governs alone”).
1
A form of government in which unlimited power is held by a single individual.
- I want to be clear: This shift toward democracy and away from autocracy is no reason to break out the “mission accomplished” banner.2022 December 1, John Avlon, “Opinion: The tide is turning against autocracy”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Aug 2024:
2
An instance of this government.
- The will of the people of Ukraine to defend their democracy is a reminder that autocracies cannot ultimately overcome free people willing to defend their liberty.2022 December 1, John Avlon, “Opinion: The tide is turning against autocracy”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Aug 2024:
- Among those who study authoritarian regimes, a consensus has emerged that [US president Donald Trump's] early moves display common characteristics of burgeoning autocracies.2025 May 9, Cameron Joseph, “They’ve watched democracies fail. They see it happening under Trump.”, in The Christian Science Monitor, archived from the original on 16 Jul 2025:
- Synonyms
- absolutism, despotism, dictatorship, tyranny
- Related terms
- autocrat, autocratic, autocratically
- Coordinate terms
- government