totalitarianism

[toh-tal-i-tair-ee-uh-niz-uh m]

See more synonyms for totalitarianism on Thesaurus.com

noun

the practices and principles of a totalitarian regime.
absolute control by the state or a governing branch of a highly centralized institution.
the character or quality of an autocratic or authoritarian individual, group, or government: the totalitarianism of the father.

Origin of totalitarianism

First recorded in 1920–25; totalitarian + -ism

Related formsto·tal·i·tar·i·an·ist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for totalitarianism

tyranny, authoritarianism, despotism, autocracy, dictatorship

Examples from the Web for totalitarianism

Contemporary Examples of totalitarianism

The huge difference between those rulers and Napoleon comes down to one word: totalitarianism.
Napoleon Was a Dynamite Dictator
J.P. O’Malley
November 7, 2014
If young adults can handle erotic vampires and totalitarianism, surely they can stomach some more fictional blood.
Come On, ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ Can Handle More Violence
Sujay Kumar
November 29, 2013
What in their history do they find inconsistent with totalitarianism, or at best statism, or at worst Marxism?
America’s Cassandra: David Mamet Speaks on the Lies of Obama and War
Lloyd Grove
November 11, 2013
Although her story is extraordinary, it is also representative of an entire dark age in Russian totalitarianism.
This Week’s Hot Reads: March 18, 2013
Jimmy So, G. Clay Whittaker
March 20, 2013
People have forgotten what totalitarianism looks like, because they became obsessed with George W. Bush.
Few Regrets as Neoconservative Advocates for Iraq Invasion Look Back
Eli Lake
March 18, 2013

Word Origin and History for totalitarianism

1926, first recorded in reference to Italian fascism, from totalitarian + -ism.

totalitarianism in Culture

totalitarianism

[(toh-tal-uh-tair-ee-uh-niz-uhm)]

Domination by a government of all political, social, and economic activities in a nation. Totalitarianism is a phenomenon of the twentieth century: earlier forms of despotism and autocracy lacked the technical capacity to control every aspect of life. The term is applied both to fascist governments (see fascism) and to many forms of communism.