authoritarian
uh-thor-ih-TAIR-ee-un
/əˌθɒr.ɪˈteə.ri.ən/
Enforcing strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.
Focuses on the strict requirement of political obedience and concentration of central power, though not necessarily controlling every aspect of private life.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'auctoritas', meaning influence or command. The word modernly morphed during the 20th century to describe political systems that demand blind obedience over democratic consent.
Word relationships
- autocratic: Autocratic highlights rule by a single person, whereas authoritarian describes the system enforcing strict obedience.
- dictatorial: Dictatorial implies absolute, arbitrary command, often with aggressive execution.
- democratic: Relies on popular participation, elections, and constitutional rights.
- libertarian: Advocates minimal state interference in individual freedoms.
Commonly confused with
- authoritative: Authoritative means respected and trustworthy; authoritarian means tyrannical and non-democratically strict.
Word family
- authoritarianism (noun): The principle or practice of authoritarian government.
Collocations
- authoritarian regime
- authoritarian rule
- authoritarian leader
- authoritarian tendencies
Example sentences
- "The country drifted toward authoritarian rule as the central government restricted independent journalism." Political Analysis
- "An authoritarian regime relies on submission to state authority rather than democratic consensus." Historical Citation
Memory hook
Think of an AUTHOR who controls every single character in the book without giving them any free will. AUTHOR controls every rule.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'authoritative', which means commanding respect through expertise or official weight.
Fun facts
- The term gained widespread academic usage in political science following World War II to categorize non-democratic regimes.
Related words
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