Meaning & use

totalitarian

adjective·Academic

Relating to a system of government that demands complete control over public and private life, allowing no political opposition.

See it in a sentence

The novel depicts a totalitarian state where citizens are monitored constantly by the government.

Historians study how propaganda helped several totalitarian regimes maintain power in the twentieth century.

A note on using this word

Stronger than "authoritarian"; a totalitarian system seeks control over nearly every aspect of life, not just politics.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

democratic

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