totalitarian

[ toh-tal-i-tair-ee-uhn ]

/ toʊˌtæl ɪˈtɛər i ən /

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See synonyms for: totalitarian / totalitarians on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or relating to a centralized government that does not tolerate parties of differing opinion and that exercises dictatorial control over many aspects of life.

exercising control over the freedom, will, or thought of others; authoritarian; autocratic.

noun

an adherent of totalitarianism.

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Origin of totalitarian

First recorded in 1925–30; totalit(y) + -arian

OTHER WORDS FROM totalitarian

an·ti·to·tal·i·tar·i·an, adjectivenon·to·tal·i·tar·i·an, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use totalitarian in a sentence

Before anti-vaxxers, there were anti-fluoriders: a group who spread fear about the anti-tooth decay agent added to drinking water.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
A few years back, designer John Galliano was fined by the government for sharing just such anti-semitic sentiments in public.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The “doctorate” Duke claims is from an anti-Semitic Ukranian “diploma mill” as described by the State Department.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Charles “Father” Coughlin, a raving anti-Semite, was one of the most popular radio hosts in the country.
Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America?|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The anti-crime cops began searching the likely path of flight.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
To give him a party name, he became an anti-clerical, strictly in a political and lawful sense.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Martini appeared from his little anti-room, with a lamp in his hand, as the prison clock struck ten.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
The unoccupied pallet of Martini lay in one corner of this miserable anti-room.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
He sincerely hates all anti-tobaccoites and has a supreme disgust for the memory of King James I. and all royal foes of the plant.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Let no opportunity be missed of exposing the true character of the vile and selfish agitators of the Anti-corn-law league.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for totalitarian

totalitarian

/ (təʊˌtælɪˈtɛərɪən) /

adjective

of, denoting, relating to, or characteristic of a dictatorial one-party state that regulates every realm of life

noun

a person who advocates or practises totalitarian policies

Derived forms of totalitarian

totalitarianism, noun

Word Origin for totalitarian

from totality + -arian

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

totalitarian

Origin of totalitarian

OTHER WORDS FROM totalitarian

Words related to totalitarian

How to use totalitarian in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for totalitarian

Derived forms of totalitarian

Word Origin for totalitarian