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authoritarianism

authoritarianism

11 8.7
A system where one person or small group has almost all political power
  • noun
  • /ˌɔːθəˈrɪtɛriənɪzəm/
translation icon : autoritarismo
  • As Ukraine was rejecting the authoritarianism of Presidents Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yanukovych, Russia was embracing it under Putin.
  • authoritarianism over democracy
  • Arab authoritarianism
  • authoritarianism and corporatism

This is total fascist authoritarianism and it has arrived and it is at our doorstep.

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Examples

  • From the early 1990s, a vast literature arose to explain the persistence of authoritarianism in the Middle East.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Egypt has slid back towards authoritarianism.

  • This is a war of two systems, authoritarianism and democracy.

  • And during the US election campaign, there were increasing concerns about rising authoritarianism in the US.

  • In the context of authoritarianism and civil war, political parties and unions made strategic decisions.

    Academic text (1999)
  • If there is any causal relationship between authoritarianism and economic growth in Russia, it is negative.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Historically, their popularity has increased with authoritarianism and decreased with free and fair elections.

    Academic text (2008)
  • This is a negotiated settlement, a negotiated transition from authoritarianism to democracy.

  • In reality, however, the opposite occurred: President Saleh's victory was a triumph of authoritarianism over democracy.

    Academic text (1994)
  • In recent years, many citizens have expressed their discontent with the government's drift towards authoritarianism.

Synonyms

dictatorship
vsauthoritarianism
157 4.8

A government where one person or a small group has all power and does not allow political opposition

is the general term for that same political system
tyranny
vsauthoritarianism
109 6.7

One person or a small group rules a country cruelly

is a general concept of concentrated power without the cruelty label
totalitarianism
vsauthoritarianism
  • Formal
19 9.3

A government that controls nearly all parts of people's lives and takes away personal freedom

focuses on concentrated power but does not require control of private life
despotism
vsauthoritarianism
  • Formal
7 9.6

A government where one person or group has all power and rules cruelly

shares the concentrated power feature but without necessarily cruel oppression
authoritarian regime
vsauthoritarianism
5 7.4

A government where one leader or a small group holds power and limits people's freedoms

is the broader system where unchecked authority or a small group holds power
autocracy
vsauthoritarianism
5 8.2

A government in which one person has all power

may also refer to systems controlled by a small group rather than one person
absolutism
vsauthoritarianism
  • Formal
3 8.1

A system where one ruler has complete power

is the broader term for the same concentration of power
one-man rule
vsauthoritarianism
1 8.2

A government where one person has all power and others cannot oppose them

covers that case but also systems led by a small elite
monocracy
vsauthoritarianism
  • Formal
9.9

A government where one person has all power over the country and no limits

allows either a single person or a small group to hold absolute power
autarchy
vsauthoritarianism
  • Formal
9.9

A government where one person has all the power and decides everything

can apply to a single person or a small group holding absolute power
totalism
vsauthoritarianism
  • Formal
9.9

Belief that the government should control every part of people's lives

is the political system description rather than merely belief or support

Antonyms

782 1.6

A system of government where people choose leaders by free elections

429 3.3

Being free from unfair rules or control by government

How Authoritarian

totalitarianism
  • Formal
19 9.3
autocracy
5 8.2
authoritarianism
11 8.7
democracy
782 1.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

authoritarianism = authoritarian (transparent) = authority + arian + ism

Clear nominalization of the adjective 'authoritarian' to denote an ideology, system, or doctrine.

Etymology

Authoritarianism comes from authority ('power to tell people what to do') and the ending -ism ('system or belief'), so think of it as the idea of authority made into a system. So, authoritarianism means a system where one leader or a small group keep most of the power and limit people's freedom.