authoritarian

adjective
UK: /ɔːˌθɒr.ɪˈteə.ri.ən/
US: /əˌθɔːr.əˈter.i.ən/

  1. Believing that people should obey authority and rules, even if they are unfair or wrong.

    1. The headmaster was very authoritarian and didn't listen to students. [ ] [ ]
    2. His authoritarian style of leadership made it difficult for employees to voice their concerns. [ ] [ ]

  2. Describes a system of government that is demanding that people obey completely and refuses to allow them freedom.

    1. The country has an authoritarian regime with no free elections. [ ] [ ]
    2. Citizens in the authoritarian state lived in constant fear of government surveillance. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

despotic totalitarian autocratic dictatorial
authoritarian noun

  1. A person who believes in or practices authoritarianism.

    1. He is an authoritarian who likes to control everything. [ ] [ ]
    2. The authoritarian demanded absolute obedience from all subordinates. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "authoritarian" in English means: Believing that people should obey authority and rules, even if they are unfair or wrong., Describes a system of government that is demanding that people obey completely and refuses to allow them freedom..

The phonetic transcription of "authoritarian" is /ɔːˌθɒr.ɪˈteə.ri.ən/ in British English and /əˌθɔːr.əˈter.i.ən/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "authoritarian": despotic, totalitarian, autocratic, dictatorial.

Example usage of "authoritarian": "The headmaster was very authoritarian and didn't listen to students.". More examples on the page.