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definitions

totalitarian

[ toh-tal-i-tair-ee-uh n ]
/ toʊˌtæl ɪˈtɛər i ən /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR totalitarian 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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RELATED WORDS

authoritarian, oppressive, monolithic, autocratic, tyrannical, undemocratic, communist, total, absolute, totalistic, Nazi, despotic, fascistic

Nearby words

  1. total reflection,
  2. total serialism,
  3. total transfusion,
  4. totalism,
  5. totalistic,
  6. totalitarianism,
  7. totalitarianize,
  8. totality,
  9. totalizator,
  10. totalize

Origin of totalitarian

First recorded in 1925–30; totalit(y) + -arian
Related formsan·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. 2019

Examples from the Web for totalitarian

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 Formstotalitarianism, 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

Word Origin and History for totalitarian

totalitarian

adj.

1926, first in reference to Italian fascism, formed in English on model of Italian totalitario "complete, absolute, totalitarian," from the Italian cognate of English total (adj.). The noun is recorded from 1938.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper