What does authoritarian mean in simple terms?

If the Socialism is Authoritarian; if there are Governments armed with economic power as they are now with political power; if, in a word, we are to have Industrial Tyrannies, then the last state of man will be worse than the first.

It is clear, then, that no Authoritarian Socialism will do.

Marine Le Pen in France or Viktor Orban in Hungary, amongst others, are trying to combine populism with anti-immigrant sentiments and authoritarian ambitions.

The authoritarian-corruption nexus is the growing convergence of licit and illicit state and non-state actors that facilitates and launders the profits of illegal activity reinforcing the strength and survival of authoritarian systems of governance everywhere.

KARACHI -- Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday condemned the raid by the National Accountability Bureau at Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Mian Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif's residence, terming it 'yet another authoritarian and undemocratic move by the government.'

Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday condemned the raid by the National Accountability Bureau at Shehbaz Sharif's residence, terming it 'yet another authoritarian and undemocratic move by the government.'

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a tweet, today, said that ahead of Narendra Modi's visit, the authoritarian state had pressed panic buttons and tightened control as cordon and search operations were conducted even in Lal Chowk area of Srinagar.

Bolsonaro, though democratically elected, has demonstrated authoritarian inclinations.

Take the slogan of one major American newspaper: "Democracies die in darkness." It represents a simplistic answer to the rise of authoritarian and populist forces around the globe.

The result is an increasingly authoritarian presence among Palestinians with no authority when it comes to dealing with Israel and the international community.

Dictators are almost always oddballs, but it is worth asking: Is quackery a required trait of authoritarian rule?

(noun) A type of government that maintains near absolute control typically by force, showing little concern for public opinion, and governed by a single individual, group, or class.

Examples of Authoritarianism

  • Cuba under Fidel Castro (1926–2016)
  • Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe (born 1924)

Types of Authoritarianism

  • autocracy
  • totalitarianism

Authoritarianism Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: au·thor·i·tar·i·an·ism

Audio Pronunciation

– American English

– British English

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /əˌθɔrəˈtɛriəˌnɪzəm/
  • British English – /ɔːˌθɒrɪˈteərɪənɪz(ə)m/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: authoritarianisms
  • Also called:
    • authoritarian government
    • authoritarian political system
    • authoritarian regime

Additional Information

  • Crime and Law Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
  • Politics and Policy Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
  • Word origin of “authoritarianism” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
  • O’Donnell, Guillermo A. 1999. Counterpoints: Selected Essays on Authoritarianism and Democratization. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.
  • authority
  • cadre
  • core nations
  • democracy
  • government
  • oligarchy
  • peripheral nation
  • power
  • State
  • totalitarianism
  • Weber, Max

Works Consulted

Bilton, Tony, Kevin Bonnett, Pip Jones, David Skinner, Michelle Stanworth, and Andrew Webster. 1996. Introductory Sociology. 3rd ed. London: Macmillan.

Brinkerhoff, David, Lynn White, Suzanne Ortega, and Rose Weitz. 2011. Essentials of Sociology. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ferrante-Wallace, Joan. 2011. Sociology: A Global Perspective. 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ferris, Kerry, and Jill Stein. 2010. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology. 2nd ed. New York: Norton.

Hughes, Michael, and Carolyn J. Kroehler. 2011. Sociology: The Core. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Kendall, Diana. 2011. Sociology in Our Times. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Macionis, John. 2012. Sociology. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Reference. (http://www.oxfordreference.com/).

Taylor & Francis. (N.d.) Routledge Handbooks Online. (https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/).

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).

Wiley. (N.d.) Wiley Online Library. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/).

Cite the Definition of Authoritarianism

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “authoritarianism.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved December 1, 2022 (https://sociologydictionary.org/authoritarianism/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

authoritarianism. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/authoritarianism/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “authoritarianism.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://sociologydictionary.org/authoritarianism/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“authoritarianism.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2022. .

What is authoritarianism kid definition?

The term authoritarianism is used to describe a type of leadership that favors blind submission to authority. In a political system marked by authoritarianism power is concentrated in one leader or one government that is not directly answerable to the people.

How would you describe a person who is an authoritarian?

adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun] If you describe a person or an organization as authoritarian, you are critical of them controlling everything rather than letting people decide things for themselves. [disapproval]

What is authoritarian government short answer?

An authoritarian regime has "a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people". Unlike totalitarian states, they will allow social and economic institutions not under governmental control, and tend to rely on passive mass acceptance rather than active popular support.

What do you call an authoritarian?

Definitions of authoritarian. adjective. characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty. “an authoritarian regime” synonyms: autocratic, despotic, dictatorial, tyrannic, tyrannical undemocratic.