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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.
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
The United States' chaotic autocratic lurch under President Donald Trump—in particular, its abandonment of Europe and Ukraine in favor of closer ties to Russia—has compelled European countries to get a lot more serious about their own defense.
—
Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Panahi uses this set-up to explore the ripple effects of autocratic abuse on several characters who don’t know each other, but are connected by the same persecutor.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
As her regime became more autocratic, elections became sham exercises and space for dissent and debate withered.
—Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
Battalions of mercenary soldiers could be used as a scalpel to fulfill foreign policy goals in places like Sudan and Syria, where Russia had an interest in resources like gold or could count on political support from autocratic leaders.
—Nicolas Niarchos, New York Times, 13 May 2025
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Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Panahi uses this set-up to explore the ripple effects of autocratic abuse on several characters who don’t know each other, but are connected by the same persecutor.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
As her regime became more autocratic, elections became sham exercises and space for dissent and debate withered.
—Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
Battalions of mercenary soldiers could be used as a scalpel to fulfill foreign policy goals in places like Sudan and Syria, where Russia had an interest in resources like gold or could count on political support from autocratic leaders.
—Nicolas Niarchos, New York Times, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocratic
Cite this Entry
“Autocratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocratic. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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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