authoritarian

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Countries that move from authoritarian to democratic rule are said to be in “transition to democracy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Beyond security concerns, authoritarian leaders often house senior officials on military bases or within walled compounds as a way of minimizing the possibility of a coup.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

At military parades of authoritarian regimes, it’s not often a girl takes center stage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026

“Defiance” offers a prism on Syria’s authoritarian society before the 2011 uprising and subsequent civil war, and vivid snapshots of the devastation that the war unleashed.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Everywhere it reflected the authoritarian spandrels of his character, from its surfeit of policemen to its strict rules against picking flowers.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson