as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
in times of crisis, when a nation's people are frightened, there are often calls for totalitarianism
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Recent Examples of totalitarianism
Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four (also stylized as 1984) was published in 1949, and served as a stark warning about the dangers of totalitarianism.
—
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Eclectic traditionalism, remade on an elephantine scale, is the style of totalitarianism.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Soviet communism represented left-wing totalitarianism, while Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy represented right-wing totalitarianism.
—Mark Satta, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
In the time between the 1933 and 1934 congress, Germany had moved even further into Nazi totalitarianism.
—Kamila Shamsie
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Eclectic traditionalism, remade on an elephantine scale, is the style of totalitarianism.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Soviet communism represented left-wing totalitarianism, while Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy represented right-wing totalitarianism.
—Mark Satta, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
In the time between the 1933 and 1934 congress, Germany had moved even further into Nazi totalitarianism.
—Kamila Shamsie
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for totalitarianism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totalitarianism
Noun
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These cars are sensational, liberating Honda’s engineering excellence from the tyranny of front-wheel drive.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Andrew Garfield leads the feature that is now in production, portraying the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Politically or electorally speaking, Maoism could hardly be less relevant in this day and age—no one wants egalitarian totalitarianism anymore than (most) people want fascism.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
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Right-wing figures have blamed the Left for increasing the political temperature and resulting in Kirk’s assassination by weaponizing accusations of fascism, Nazism, and various kinds of bigotry.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Minister Kabawat is a member of the Christian minority and a longtime member of the opposition to the former dictatorship of Bashar Al-Assad that was defeated by Al-Shara in late 2024.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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After the fall of Hungary’s Communist dictatorship, dozens of decommissioned monuments were sent to Budapest’s Memento Park, including the boots from an enormous statue of Stalin, which had been torn down by irate crowds.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Two veteran data journalists are launching a new investigative publication to cover rising authoritarianism from the shadowy corners of the internet.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Vika Lomasko on authoritarianism, political art, and her book, The Last Soviet Artist.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Totalitarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totalitarianism. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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