Authoritarian Meaning
/ɔːˌθɒɹ.ɪˈtɛə̯.ɹɪən/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjOf, or relating to, or exhibiting strict obedience to an authority; favoring authoritarianism over civic and individual liberties.
adjDemanding obedience to authority; marked by authoritarianism; dictatorial, tyrannical.
Sentence Examples
Human rights groups are putting pressure on authoritarian governments.
State Capitalism could be democratic or authoritarian.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ leader banned all opposition parties and free press.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The country was ruled by an ____ regime that suppressed all dissent.
Word Origin & History
From authority + -arian, circa 1880.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Una rivoluzione è certamente la cosa più autoritaria che ci sia: è l'atto per il quale una parte della popolazione impone la sua volontà all'altra parte per mezzo di fucili, baionette e cannoni; mezzi autoritari, se ce ne sono; e il partito vittorioso, se non vuole aver combattuto invano, deve continuare questo dominio col terrore che le sue armi inspirano ai reazionari."
— 1873 December [1872], Friedrich Engels, “Dell'autorità”, in Almanacco repubblicano per l'anno 1874; translated into English as “On Authority”, in Marx/Engels Collected Works, volume 23, translation of original in Italian, 1988, page 425:
"[…] (selling one’s personal activity under another’s direction and supervision encourages dependency and authoritarian relationships);[…]"
— 1981 May 1, Samuel Edward Konkin III, “Reply to Rothbard”, in Strategy of the New Libertarian Alliance, number 1:
"It may be that precisely due to its weak nature, an authoritarian dictatorship needs rampant violence and lies to maintain its rule."
— 2020 March 14, Shixin, “What Did the Sudden Fall of the Berlin Wall Tell Us?”, in Minghui, archived from the original on 01 Oct 2025:
"Wang Yi blatantly intimidates the world at the UNGA. He is a cheat and bully on the global stage in fundamental violation of the facts. Democratic countries should clearly recognize and unify against the challenge of authoritarian intervention. The Republic of China is a sovereign state. Taiwan has never been part of the People's Republic of China in historical fact, international law, or reality."
— 2022, “September 25, 2022”, in Mainland Affairs Council, archived from the original on 04 Mar 2023, Chronology:
"Of course, in China everything is determined by the state. So many times, when I asked how China had managed to build this network so quickly, I was told that it was because the government had backed it. And, of course, there are fewer Nimbys in an authoritarian state."
— 2025 April 16, Christian Wolmar, “Hugely impressed by China's high-speed rail network”, in RAIL, number 1033, page 42:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ leader banned all opposition parties and free press.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The country was ruled by an ____ regime that suppressed all dissent.