totalitarianism

American  

[toh-tal-i-tair-ee-uh-niz-uhm] / toʊˌtæl ɪˈtɛər i əˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. the practices and principles of a totalitarian regime.

2. absolute control by the state or a governing branch of a highly centralized institution.

3. the character or quality of an autocratic or authoritarian individual, group, or government.

   the totalitarianism of the father.

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totalitarianism Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• totalitarianist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of totalitarianism

First recorded in 1920–25; totalitarian + -ism

Compare meaning

How does totalitarianism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• fascism vs. totalitarianism
• totalitarianism vs. dictatorship

Explanation

If the government has complete and absolute power over the people, that's totalitarianism. This is a repressive, unfree type of society. A democracy is a society in which people have a say in their government and elect their leaders. The opposite is totalitarianism: a totalitarian society is usually ruled by a dictator, and there is very little or no freedom. In totalitarianism, the government controls almost every aspect of life. There is no free speech or freedom of the press: certain religions and ideas may be banned. George Orwell's novel 1984 was a brilliant look at a world of totalitarianism.

Example Sentences

His parents’ experience living under totalitarianism shaped his outlook on the world.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

She was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 2009 for fiction that chronicled the horrors of Ceaușescu’s totalitarianism, which lasted from 1965 to his overthrow and execution in 1989.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

If one does not appreciate the nature and importance of the squabble, Freidenberg maintained, one cannot really grasp how totalitarianism poisons every moment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Whereas authoritarianism may leave society outside the political realm more or less intact, totalitarianism makes a total claim on civil society.

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2025

I speak of the startling hope of giving our children a future free of both totalitarianism and nuclear terror.

From State of the Union Address by Reagan, Ronald

Related Words

• authoritarianism
• autocracy
• despotism
• tyranny