police state

NOUN

totalitarian rule

Synonyms

WEAK

brute force despotism rule of terror totalitarian government totalitarian regime totalitarianism

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.

In 2025, Georgi was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and winner of the Overseas Press Club of America award as part of a Journal team investigating Russia's police state.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Similar to the way Lamar’s performance was laden with symbolism about Black history, life and death under the American police state, Bad Bunny placed cultural tributes in plain sight.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2026

Here, it justifies the creation of a dystopian, paranoid police state because it will make it easier to find someone’s lost dog.

From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026

“This is not a police state, it’s a state that provides security,” Ulloa said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 31, 2024

Shin did not yet know this, but grassroots capitalism, vagabond trading, and rampant corruption were creating cracks in the police state that surrounded Camp 14.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden