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Synonyms

dictatorship

American  
[dik-tey-ter-ship, dik-tey-] / dɪkˈteɪ tərˌʃɪp, ˈdɪk teɪ- /

noun

  1. a country, government, or the form of government in which absolute power is exercised by a dictator.

  2. absolute, imperious, or overbearing power or control.

  3. the office or position held by a dictator.

dictatorship British  
/ dɪkˈteɪtəˌʃɪp /

noun

  1. the rank, office, or period of rule of a dictator

  2. government by a dictator or dictators

  3. a country ruled by a dictator or dictators

  4. absolute or supreme power or authority

"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
dictatorship Cultural  

  1. Government by a single person or by a junta or other group that is not responsible to the people or their elected representatives.

Discover More

Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were dictators.

Etymology

Origin of dictatorship

First recorded in 1580–90; dictator + -ship

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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.

As for the nominal head of the dictatorship, Gabrielle Weiniger and David Charter report for The Times of London:

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

In almost every movie about life under a dictatorship, there is a scene where the security services order someone to “show me your papers.”

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Former senator Brian Burston accused Hanson of running a "dictatorship" when he quit in 2018.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

A crowd into the tens of thousands gathered in Buenos Aires on Tuesday to mark 50 years since Argentina's military ushered in years of dictatorship with a coup on March 24, 1976.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

I wondered what he would do if his little dictatorship over the school ever crumbled.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

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.