Synonyms for authoritarian
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Autocratic — tending to impose one's demands upon others as if one were an authority
autocratic, dictatorial, despotic, tyrannical, oppressive, domineering, heavy-handed, overbearing, arrogant, imperious, demanding, haughty, commanding, dogmatic, overweening, arbitrary, authoritative, supercilious, insolent, peremptory, magisterial, lordly
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Tending to impose one's demands upon others as if one were an authority.
Related words
- Word family
- authoritarianism
- Phrases
- authoritarian democracy
From weakest to strongest
From the opposite of authoritarian, on the left, to its strongest synonyms, on the right.
Example sentences
- tyrannical They dreamed of overthrowing their tyrannical overlord.
- dictatorial Bouteflika granted himself dictatorial powers.
- autocratic I recalled her as an energetic, autocratic personality.
- despotic The administrators of that forum are very despotic.
- bossy Tom told Mary that he didn't think John was bossy.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| authoritarian | rising | |
| tyrannical | steady | |
| dictatorial | steady | |
| autocratic | steady | |
| despotic | steady | |
| bossy | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- bossy2
- 6 letters
- lordly2
- 7 letters
- haughty2
- 8 letters
- arrogant3, dogmatic3, insolent3, despotic3
- 9 letters
- demanding3, arbitrary4, imperious4
- 10 letters
- commanding3, oppressive3, tyrannical4, autocratic4, peremptory4
- 11 letters
- dictatorial5, overbearing4, domineering4, magisterial5, overweening
- 12 letters
- supercilious5
- 13 letters
- authoritative5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (bossy2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- autoritaire
- Italiano
- autoritario
- Español
- autoritario
- Deutsch
- autoritär
- Català
- autoritari