authoritarian

[ uh-thawr-i-tair-ee-uh n, uh-thor- ]

/ əˌθɔr ɪˈtɛər i ən, əˌθɒr- /

adjective

favoring complete obedience or subjection to authority as opposed to individual freedom: authoritarian principles; authoritarian attitudes.

of or relating to a governmental or political system, principle, or practice in which individual freedom is held as completely subordinate to the power or authority of the state, centered either in one person or a small group that is not constitutionally accountable to the people.

exercising complete or almost complete control over the will of another or of others: an authoritarian parent.

noun

a person who favors or acts according to authoritarian principles.

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Origin of authoritarian

First recorded in 1875–80; authorit(y) + -arian

OTHER WORDS FROM authoritarian

au·thor·i·tar·i·an·ism, nounan·ti·au·thor·i·tar·i·an, adjectivean·ti·au·thor·i·tar·i·an·ism, nounnon·au·thor·i·tar·i·an, adjective

Words nearby authoritarian

author, author catalog, author's alteration, authoress, authoring, authoritarian, authoritarian personality, authoritative, authority, authority control, authority figure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for anti-authoritarian

Sony Pictures Entertainment has put out some of the most countercultural, anti-authoritarian movies of the past century.
Sony: Hollywood’s Most Subversive Studio Under Attack|Marlow Stern|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Obama years have been marked by a sharp turn toward anti-individualist, anti-authoritarian philosophy.
Obama’s Shift Toward Communitarianism|Gregory Ferenstein|June 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
At its core, the Republican Party is a bottom-up, anti-authoritarian working- and middle-class party.
Republicans Push Back as Rove Aims to Appoint Himself Kingmaker|Lloyd Green|February 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The seventies were an anti-authoritarian or at least egalitarian period.
Eric Asimov Talks About New Book “How to Love Wine”|Sophie Menin|October 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST

And pushing the envelope, as she always did, with a playful, anti-authoritarian attitude—up to a point.
Lynn Sherr: Sally Ride’s Heroic and Trailblazing Life as an Astronaut|Lynn Sherr|July 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for anti-authoritarian

authoritarian

/ (ɔːˌθɒrɪˈtɛərɪən) /

adjective

favouring, denoting, or characterized by strict obedience to authority

favouring, denoting, or relating to government by a small elite with wide powers

despotic; dictatorial; domineering

noun

a person who favours or practises authoritarian policies

Derived forms of authoritarian

authoritarianism, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012