authoritarianism

Meanings

Plural: authoritarianisms

Noun

• a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
• A form of government in which the governing body has absolute, or almost absolute, control. Typically this control is maintained by force, and little heed is paid to public opinion or the judicial system.

Synonyms

absolutism, Caesarism, despotism, dictatorship, monocracy, one-man rule, shogunate, Stalinism, totalitarianism, tyranny