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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 Very Territorial Caterpillar Mr. Trump’s autocratic tendencies and disregard for constitutional norms are well documented.
—
Peter Baker, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
The Democrats lost an election to someone with autocratic tendencies who has expressed endless racist, bigoted, and misogynistic beliefs.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Parties trade majority control as voters react to extremism, shifting the regime from more autocratic to more democratic depending on who is in power.
—Jennifer Victor, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2025
Venezuelans have been living under the autocratic regime of Nicolás Maduro for more than a decade amid runaway inflation, worsening poverty and widespread political persecution, according to the Washington Office on Latin America., a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
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Peter Baker, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
The Democrats lost an election to someone with autocratic tendencies who has expressed endless racist, bigoted, and misogynistic beliefs.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Parties trade majority control as voters react to extremism, shifting the regime from more autocratic to more democratic depending on who is in power.
—Jennifer Victor, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2025
Venezuelans have been living under the autocratic regime of Nicolás Maduro for more than a decade amid runaway inflation, worsening poverty and widespread political persecution, according to the Washington Office on Latin America., a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 Apr. 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 16 Apr. 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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