autocracy

[ aw-tok-ruh-see ]

/ ɔˈtɒk rə si /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR autocracy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural au·toc·ra·cies.

government in which one person has uncontrolled or unlimited authority over others; the government or power of an absolute monarch.

a nation, state, or community ruled by an autocrat.

unlimited authority, power, or influence of one person in any group.

Nearby words

autocollimation, autocollimator, autocomplete, autocorrect, autocorrelation, autocracy, autocrat, autocratic, autocrine, autocrine hypothesis, autocross

Origin of autocracy

1645–55; < Greek autokráteia power over oneself, sole power, equivalent to autokrat(ḗs) autocrat + -eia -ia; see -cracy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for autocracy

The nature of the autocracy—that it was only answerable to itself—meant it could not draw its power from the people.
Kotkin Biography Reveals Stalin's Evil Pragmatism|William O’Connor|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ortega has dismissed the allegations of autocracy and fraud that have afflicted his presidency as politically motivated.
China’s Nicaragua Canal Could Spark a New Central America Revolution|Nina Lakhani|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Autocracy is just a Russian bad habit, like smoking three packs of cigarettes a day and drinking a liter of vodka.
Russian History Is on Our Side: Putin Will Surely Screw Himself|P. J. O’Rourke|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was a strange world, or seems so in retrospect, built as it was of equal parts meritocracy and autocracy.
Peter Matthiessen Was One of the Greatest Writers of a Great Generation|Malcolm Jones|April 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

There are elements of autocracy, monarchy and military in the organizational structure and culture of Chassidic movements.
What Peter Beinart Gets Wrong About Chabad|David Werdiger|July 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This is quite as true in a democracy as it is in an autocracy.
Introduction to the Science of Sociology|Robert E. Park
Under the banner of Social Democracy a tyranny has been established as infamous as anything in the annals of autocracy.
Bolshevism|John Spargo
And there was autocracy again, and again the vicious circle.
A Poor Wise Man|Mary Roberts Rinehart
While revengeful if imposed upon, and bitter under the autocracy of cruelty, he has a great respect for firmness.
The Great White Tribe in Filipinia|Paul T. Gilbert
The end of a great war, however, has one inevitable result, that it leaves a military 73 autocracy in supreme control of affairs.
Armageddon--And After|W. L. Courtney

British Dictionary definitions for autocracy

autocracy

/ (ɔːˈtɒkrəsɪ) /

noun plural -cies

government by an individual with unrestricted authority

the unrestricted authority of such an individual

a country, society, etc, ruled by an autocrat

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

Word Origin and History for autocracy

autocracy

1650s, "independent power, self-sustained power," from French autocratie, from Greek autokrateia "ruling by oneself," noun of state from autokrates (see autocrat). Meaning "absolute government, supreme political power" is recorded from 1855.

Culture definitions for autocracy

autocracy

[ (aw-tok-ruh-see) ]

A system of government in which supreme political power is held by one person. (Compare constitutional monarchy, democracy, and oligarchy.)

Note

Iraq under Saddam Hussein is an autocracy.

autocracy

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of autocracy

Examples from the Web for autocracy

British Dictionary definitions for.css-ylq2vz{color:#1a1a1a;} autocracy

autocracy

noun plural -cies

Word Origin and History for autocracy

autocracy

Culture definitions for autocracy

autocracy

Note

British Dictionary definitions for autocracy