Human rights groups are putting pressure on authoritarian governments.
Source: tatoeba (270343)
Authoritarian
/əˌθɔɹ.əˈtɛɹ.i.ən/
Synonyms for "authoritarian" (239 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (48)
Noun(12 words)
dictatorabusersautocratautocraticautocratic leadershipautocratic regimeautocratsbaathistcentralizedcoercivecoercive actioncoercive forcing
absoluteabsolutistabsolutisticarbitraryaristocraticarrogantascendantastringentaustereauthoritativeauthorizedautocraticautonomousbigotbigotedbornebossybureaucraticciviccivil
Show 9 more words
closedclosed mindedclothed with authoritycommandingcompetentconsequentialconsiderableconstitutionalconstricted
Adjective(6 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (72)
controllingcrampedcreedbounddeafdeaf to reasondemandingdemocraticdespoticdictatorialdoctrinairedogmaticdominantdomineeringdourduly constitutedeminentempoweredex officioexactingexigent
Noun(13 words)
despotdespoticdictatorialdictatorial regimedirect rule eradisciplinariandisciplinariansdogmatistdraconianfascistafascistsgeneralissimojanissary
Adjective(10 words)
despoticdespoticaldictatorialdictatorial leadershipdogmaticaldystopianforceful leadershipgerman autokratiehitlerianintolerant
Related words (119)
littlelittle mindedlittle-mindedlordlymagisterialmagistralmasterfulmatriarchalmatriarchicmeanmean-mindedmean-spiritedmeticulousmightymomentousmonarchalmonarchialmonarchicmonarchicalmonocratic
Show 68 more words
narrownarrow gaugenarrow mindednarrow-heartednarrow-mindednarrow-soulednarrow-spiritednearsightedofficialoligarchaloligarchicoppressiveoverbearingoverrulingparliamentarianparliamentaryparochialpatriarchalpatriarchicperemptorypettypluralisticpoliticalpotentpowerfulpreeminentprescriptiveprestigiousprominentprovincialpuissantpurblindrankingrepressiverepublicanruggedrulingself-governingseniorsevereshortsightedsmallsmall mindedsmall-mindedspartanspartanicsternstraitlacedstrictstringentstuffysubstantialsuperiorsuppressivesupremetheocratictotaltotalitariantoughtyrannicaltyrannousuncatholicuncharitableungenerousunliberalunsparingunyieldingweighty
Noun(21 words)
maoist regimemilitary commandermore napoleonicnazinon-democratic stateoppressivepersonal rulepraetorian guardprocrustesramroddingrepressingsalazarschoolmarmsstalinisttokugawatop down management styletotalitarianstyrannicaltyrantundemocratic regime
Show 1 more word
Adjective(10 words)
napoleonicorwellianoverbearingoverpoweringpraetorian edictstate coerciontotalistictyrannictyrannicalundemocratic procedure
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: dictator, absolute, absolutist, absolutistic, abusers.
- Sentence evidence is available for authoritarian, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "authoritarian".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "authoritarian"
Keep "authoritarian" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "authoritarian" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "authoritarian", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "authoritarian" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesMore specific
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
Collocations
8 entriesauthoritarian governanceauthoritarian governmentauthoritarian leaderauthoritarian leadershipauthoritarian politicsauthoritarian regimeauthoritarian ruleauthoritarian state
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
7 entriessimilar
2 entriesTranslations
21 translations across 21 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- سُلْطَوِيّ adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Catalan
1 entries- autoritari adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 專制的 /专制的 adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Danish
1 entries- autoritær adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Finnish
1 entries- autoritaarinen adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
French
1 entries- autoritaire adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Galician
1 entries- autoritario adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
German
1 entries- autoritär adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Greek
1 entries- αυταρχικός adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Indonesian
1 entries- otoriter adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Japanese
1 entries- 権威主義的な adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- autoritær adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- autoritær adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Polish
1 entries- autorytarny adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Portuguese
1 entries- autoritário adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Russian
1 entries- авторита́рный adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Spanish
1 entries- autoritario adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Swedish
1 entries- auktoritär adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Ukrainian
1 entries- авторита́рний adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Vietnamese
1 entries- chuyên chế adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Yiddish
1 entries- אויטאָריטאַריש adj (of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority)
Sample sentences
21 total sentences available.
In my analysis I rely considerably on the types of authoritarian behaviour first analyzed by Kurz.
Source: tatoeba (320008)
State Capitalism could be democratic or authoritarian.
Source: tatoeba (1603563)
Staff couldn't handle the new Minister's authoritarian management style, and left en masse.
Source: tatoeba (3696664)
Showing 4 of 21 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "authoritarian"?
Closest matches include dictator, absolute, absolutist, absolutistic, abusers.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "authoritarian"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.