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Autos in Greek means "same" or "self", so in an autocratic government all the power is held by the leader him- or herself. Autocratic governments are often called dictatorships, or sometimes autocracies. In everyday life, a teacher, a parent, or a football coach can all behave like autocrats as well.
Synonyms
Examples of autocratic in a Sentence
democracy is supposed to protect the people against the rise of autocratic rulers
an autocratic Boy Scout leader who is under the delusion that he's still an army colonel
Recent Examples on the Web
Even though Russia’s election interference in 2016 attracted a great deal of public opprobrium in the United States, the Kremlin and other autocratic governments still seek to influence how Americans think and perceive the world.
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David Shedd, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2024
Fascism is a populist political movement which advocates putting the nation first through a centralized, autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader who controls the economy and suppresses opposition.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Trump and Harris align in their opposition to the autocratic governments in Venezuela and Nicaragua.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2024
History is full of rulers, particularly autocratic rulers, doing likewise.
—Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for autocratic 
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David Shedd, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2024
Fascism is a populist political movement which advocates putting the nation first through a centralized, autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader who controls the economy and suppresses opposition.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Trump and Harris align in their opposition to the autocratic governments in Venezuela and Nicaragua.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2024
History is full of rulers, particularly autocratic rulers, doing likewise.
—Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for autocratic
Dictionary Entries Near autocratic
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocratic. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
autocratic
adjective
au·to·crat·ic
ˌȯt-ə-ˈkrat-ik 
: of, relating to, or resembling autocracy or an autocrat
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