autocracy en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ɔːˈtɒkɹəsi/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From auto- + -cracy, from Ancient Greek αὐτοκρατία (autokratía, “A system of government by one person with absolute power.”), from αὐτός (autós, “single, self, same, alone”) + κράτος (krátos, “power”) + -ία (-ía, “feminine abstract nouns suffix”); see also Ancient Greek αὐτοκρατής (autokratḗs, “one who governs alone”).
Meanings
-
(uncountable) A form of government in which unlimited power is held by a single individual.
I want to be clear: This shift toward democracy and away from autocracy is no reason to break out the “mission accomplished” banner.
2022 December 1, John Avlon, “Opinion: The tide is turning against autocracy”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Aug 2024:
-
(countable) An instance of this government.
Among those who study authoritarian regimes, a consensus has emerged that [US president Donald Trump's] early moves display common characteristics of burgeoning autocracies.
2025 May 9, Cameron Joseph, “They’ve watched democracies fail. They see it happening under Trump.”, in The Christian Science Monitor, archived from the original on 16 Jul 2025:The will of the people of Ukraine to defend their democracy is a reminder that autocracies cannot ultimately overcome free people willing to defend their liberty.
2022 December 1, John Avlon, “Opinion: The tide is turning against autocracy”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Aug 2024:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| autocracies | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
government (rule)
Deriveds
Descendants
Hyponyms
benevolent absolutism · enlightened despotism · absolute monarchy · enlightened absolutism
Relateds
autocratically · autocrat · autocratic
Synonyms
absolutism · despotism · tyranny · dictatorship
Translations (135)
sh самодр̀жа̄вље (form of government) · es autocracia (form of government) · ky жекебийлик (form of government) · vi chế độ chuyên quyền (form of government) · ja 専制政治 (form of government) · sh samovlašće (form of government) · fr autocratie (form of government) · be самадзяржа́ўе (form of government) · sl avtokracija (form of government) · id autokrasi (form of government) · id otokrasi (form of government) · da autokrati (form of government) · kmr otokrasî (form of government) · ps استبداد (form of government) · sh самовлашће (form of government) · de Alleinherrschaft (form of government) · ky өзүмбийлик (form of government) · pl jednowładztwo (form of government) · hu egyeduralom (form of government) · fa-ira خودکامگی (form of government) · ca autocràcia (form of government) · ja 専制 (form of government) · th เอกาธิปไตย (form of government) · fo einaræði (form of government) · ur مُطْلَقُ ٱلْعَنانی (form of government) · tr otokrasi (form of government) · pt autocracia (form of government) · et autokraatia (form of government) · lo ເອກກະທິປະໄຕ (form of government) · ur اِسْتِبْداد (form of government) · ko 전제 정치 (form of government) · yi אויטאָקראַטיע (form of government) · af outokrasie (form of government) · bg автокра́ция (form of government) · be аўтакра́тыя (form of government) · lt autokratija (form of government) · cs autokracie (form of government) · ro autocrație (form of government) · fi yksinvaltius (form of government) · ja 独裁政治 (form of government) · tk awtokratiýa (form of government) · ru автокра́тия (form of government) · hy ինքնիշխանություն (form of government) · sv autokrati (form of government) · uk самовла́ддя (form of government) · fa-ira یِکِهسالاری (form of government) · ja 独裁 (form of government) · ga uathlathas (form of government) · tg истибдод (form of government) · eu autokrazia (form of government) · cmn 專制 /专制 (form of government) · cs samovláda (form of government) · el αυταρχία (form of government) · fi yksinvalta (form of government) · pl samowładztwo (form of government) · my အော်တိုကရေစီ (form of government) · th อัตตาธิปไตย (form of government) · is einræðisríki (form of government) · eo aŭtokratio (form of government) · fo einaveldi (form of government) · mt awtokrazija (form of government) · gl autocracia (form of government) · az avtokratiya (form of government) · uz samoderjaviye (form of government) · hi एकतंत्र (form of government) · it autocrazia (form of government) · pl autarchia (form of government) · hu önkényuralom (form of government) · ky самодержавие (form of government) · scn autucrazzìa (form of government) · hu autokrácia (form of government) · bn স্বৈরতন্ত্র (form of government) · sl samodrštvo (form of government) · tr saltçılık (form of government) · eo absolutismo (form of government) · uz avtokratiya (form of government) · bg самовла́стие (form of government) · sh аутокра̀ција (form of government) · uk автокра́тія (form of government) · ota ظلم (form of government) · mk автократија (form of government) · sh autokràtija (form of government) · sh autokràcija (form of government) · uz istibdod (form of government) · ks شَخصی حۆکوٗمَتھ (form of government) · be самаўла́дзтва (form of government) · nl autocratie (form of government) · mk самовластие (form of government) · ka თვითმპყრობელობა (form of government) · uk самовла́дство (form of government) · uk самодержа́вство (form of government) · kk автократия (form of government) · sk autokracia (form of government) · fa-ira خودْسالاری (form of government) · fa-ira اُتوکْراسی (form of government) · is einræði (form of government) · ka ავტოკრატია (form of government) · ur شَخْصی حُکُومَت (form of government) · sv envälde (form of government) · tg автократия (form of government) · be самаўла́дства (form of government) · fi autokratia (form of government) · tl awtokrasya (form of government) · ps آټوکراسي (form of government) · yi זעלבסטהערשאַפֿט (form of government) · sh sȁmovlāst (form of government) · ar أُوتُوقْرَاطِيَّة (form of government) · pl autokracja (form of government) · ast autocracia (form of government) · ko 전제 (form of government) · sh аутокра̀тија (form of government) · fa-ira اِسْتِبْداد (form of government) · ar اِسْتِبْدَاد (form of government) · sh samodr̀žāvlje (form of government) · he אוֹטוֹקְרַטְיָה (form of government) · ky автократия (form of government) · lv autokrātija (form of government) · eo solrego (form of government) · sq autokraci (form of government) · de Autokratie (form of government) · km អត្តាធិបតេយ្យ (form of government) · sl samovlada (form of government) · pl autokratyzm (form of government) · cmn 獨裁 /独裁 (form of government) · pl jedynowładztwo (form of government) · nl alleenheerschappij (form of government) · sh са̏мовла̄ст (form of government) · nb autokrati (form of government) · hi निरंकुशता (form of government) · ru самодержа́вие (form of government) · bg самодържа́вие (form of government) · ru самовла́стие (form of government) · ms autokrasi (form of government) · sk samovláda (form of government) · yi סאַמאָדערזשאַוויע (form of government)