dictatorship

American  

[dik-tey-ter-ship, dik-tey-] / dɪkˈteɪ tərˌʃɪp, ˈdɪk teɪ- /

noun

1. a country, government, or the form of government in which absolute power is exercised by a dictator.

2. absolute, imperious, or overbearing power or control.

3. the office or position held by a dictator.

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dictatorship British  

/ dɪkˈteɪtəˌʃɪp /

noun

1. the rank, office, or period of rule of a dictator

2. government by a dictator or dictators

3. a country ruled by a dictator or dictators

4. absolute or supreme power or authority

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dictatorship Cultural  

1. Government by a single person or by a junta or other group that is not responsible to the people or their elected representatives.

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Discover More

Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were dictators.

Etymology

Origin of dictatorship

First recorded in 1580–90; dictator + -ship

Compare meaning

How does dictatorship compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• fascism vs. dictatorship
• autocracy vs. dictatorship
• totalitarianism vs. dictatorship

Example Sentences

In almost every movie about life under a dictatorship, there is a scene where the security services order someone to “show me your papers.”

From Salon

Argentine officials last week published almost 500 pages of intelligence documents dating from 1973-1983, including the seven-year period of the military dictatorship.

From Barron's

Merz replied that Germans owed a debt to Americans as in the long run "this was the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship."

From Barron's

“It was a dictatorship that worked from a perspective of building certain legitimacy, keeping the congress functioning, but of course, after purging dissent,” explains the Brazilian historian.

From Los Angeles Times

People who have lived under a dictatorship for almost half a century are forced to survive and rise within a sick system.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• authoritarianism
• autocracy
• totalitarianism
• tyranny