autocracy
Americannoun
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government in which one person has uncontrolled or unlimited authority over others; the government or power of an absolute monarch.
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a nation, state, or community ruled by an autocrat.
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unlimited authority, power, or influence of one person in any group.
noun
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government by an individual with unrestricted authority
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the unrestricted authority of such an individual
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a country, society, etc, ruled by an autocrat
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Iraq under Saddam Hussein is an autocracy.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of autocracy
First recorded in 1645–55; from Greek autokráteia “power over oneself, sole power,” from autokrat(ḗs) autocrat + -eia -ia
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How does autocracy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An autocracy is a government controlled by one person with absolute power. As unlimited power doesn't usually bring out the best in people, autocracies are often brutal regimes. The word autocracy comes from the Greek roots auto ("self") and kratos ("power"). If your boss dictates your every move and leaves you no say at all in how you do your work, then you're not in a democratic workplace, you're in an autocracy.
Vocabulary lists containing autocracy
To Thine Own Self Be True: Auto
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Do it Yourself: Words Beginning with "AUTO"
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Florida EOC Civics
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This is a lot of what I wrote about in "Laboratories of Autocracy," expanded on here.
From Salon • May 28, 2023
Autocracy forced many into tough ethical choices, and Stoicism offered guidance, often to the detriment of the autocrat.
From The New Yorker • Sep. 6, 2018
Autocracy is roughly defined as a system of government by one person with absolute power.
From Washington Post • Feb. 7, 2018
He’s also expressed admiration for Nicolas I, the Crimean War-era czar whose ideological doctrine has been summed up as “Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality.”
From Slate • Nov. 11, 2014
Autocracy in the sixteenth century was a very real and concrete fact.
From Sea-Wolves of the Mediterranean by Currey, E. Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
