dictatorship
Americannoun
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a country, government, or the form of government in which absolute power is exercised by a dictator.
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absolute, imperious, or overbearing power or control.
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the office or position held by a dictator.
noun
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the rank, office, or period of rule of a dictator
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government by a dictator or dictators
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a country ruled by a dictator or dictators
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absolute or supreme power or authority
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Etymology
Origin of dictatorship
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How does dictatorship compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A dictatorship is a government or a social situation where one person makes all the rules and decisions without input from anyone else. Dictatorship implies absolute power — one person who takes control — of a political situation, a family, a classroom or even a camping expedition. In government, a dictatorship leaves no room for input from anyone who is not the top guy or gal. The noun comes from the late 14th century Latin word, dictare, which means to "repeat or say often." In a dictatorship, one person keeps repeating the same command: "My way or the highway."
Vocabulary lists containing dictatorship
You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
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Ancient Rome - Introductory
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President Trump's First Address to the United Nations General Assembly (2017)
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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
Mami and Mrs. Washburn and Mrs. Mancini—in fact, the whole canasta group—are not about to let their kids grow up dumb brutos just because of a dictatorship.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
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.
