1
as in monarchy
a system of government in which a religious body holds unlimited power
Under a theocracy, an entire nation officially follows one religion.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in democracy
a group of people who live in a territory ruled by a religious body
The country was a theocracy governed by religious leaders.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of theocracy
Margaret Atwood’s dystopian allegorical novel didn’t over-explain the U.S.’ descent into fascist theocracy and thus left itself open to interpretation — so open that even American conservatives were able to claim it as a warning about Muslim fundamentalism.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
The Doom Slayer was a slave to capitalism in Doom (2016), the soft reboot that revived the franchise, and his now-origins as a slave to a religious theocracy sounds like something that could be cool as hell to explore.
—Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
The first of its two parts details the impacts of war and theocracy on both her family and her community: torture, death on the battlefield, constant raids, supply shortages and a growing black market.
—New York Times, 8 July 2024
The Testaments takes place in the dystopian theocracy of Gilead more than 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for theocracy
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
The Doom Slayer was a slave to capitalism in Doom (2016), the soft reboot that revived the franchise, and his now-origins as a slave to a religious theocracy sounds like something that could be cool as hell to explore.
—Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
The first of its two parts details the impacts of war and theocracy on both her family and her community: torture, death on the battlefield, constant raids, supply shortages and a growing black market.
—New York Times, 8 July 2024
The Testaments takes place in the dystopian theocracy of Gilead more than 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for theocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theocracy
Noun
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Only the second time a member of the British monarchy has married an American, the union was met with manic fanfare on both sides of the pond.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
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The Duke of Edinburgh — as Prince Edward is titled, taking on his father Prince Philip's former styling — is a working member of the royal family and often takes on duties on behalf of the monarchy.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
18 May 2025
Noun
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So this is certainly not helping Jews to basically dismantle democracy and defund universities.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
23 May 2025
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At a time when federal courts are acting as the protectors of our democracy, this is a necessary step toward bolstering confidence, faith and independence to our nation's highest court.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Noun
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But a slave mentality remains deeply ingrained in Russian minds, along with a latent monarchism and paternalism.—
Nikita Petrov,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2017
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But for anyone outside the British elite, the constitutional monarchism that emerged after the civil wars did not look much like democracy or true liberty.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harper's Magazine,
20 Aug. 2024
Noun
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The series ends with Simone standing outside Cliff House as the sun sets over the island, the new queen of this kingdom.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
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But in November 2023, the gilded walls of Combs' music kingdom came crashing down.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Noun
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His parents, Marcelo Netto and Miriam Leitão, are both journalists who resisted the dictatorship and were persecuted.—
Marcelo Cajueiro,
Variety,
27 May 2025
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Nicaraguan journalists, exiled in Costa Rica because of the dictatorship at home, launched a crowdfunding campaign following the U.S. cuts.—
Nelson Mauricio Rauda Zablah,
Christian Science Monitor,
23 May 2025
Noun
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In our country, a democratic republic, our presidents govern, which means to manage and to administer under a set of laws, a constitution, sharing power with legislature and justice departments.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2025
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One is entrenched in Gilead, while the other resides with Mayday operatives helping to smuggle women out of the republic.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Theocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theocracy. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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