totalitarian

(tō-tăl'ĭ-târ'ē-ən)
adj.
Of, relating to, being, or imposing a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed: "A totalitarian regime crushes all autonomous institutions in its drive to seize the human soul" (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.).

n.
A practitioner or supporter of such a government.

[TOTAL + (AUTHOR)ITARIAN.]

totalitarianism to·tal'i·tar'i·an·ism n.

View more Literature & Language videos

adjective

1. Characterized by or favoring absolute obedience to authority: authoritarian, autocratic, despotic, dictatorial, tyrannic, tyrannical. See over/under.
2. Having and exercising complete political power and control: absolute, absolutistic, arbitrary, autarchic, autarchical, autocratic, autocratical, despotic, dictatorial, monocratic, tyrannic, tyrannical, tyrannous. See over/under, politics.

noun

1. One who imposes or favors absolute obedience to authority: authoritarian, autocrat, despot, dictator, martinet, tyrant. See over/under.
2. An absolute ruler, especially one who is harsh and oppressive: Big Brother, despot, dictator, führer, man on horseback, oppressor, strongman, tyrant. See over/under.

adj

Definition: dictatorial
Antonyms: democratic

IN BRIEF: Characterized by a government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control.

A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule. — Michael Pollan

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

For a list of words related to totalitarianism, see:

• Forms, Systems, and Philosophies - totalitarianism: authoritarian political system in which citizen is totally subject to will of state

---

See words rhyming with "totalitarian."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Totalitarian.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - totalitær
n. - totalitær

Nederlands (Dutch)
totalitair

Français (French)
adj. - totalitaire
n. - totalitaire

Deutsch (German)
adj. - totalitär
n. - Totalitarist

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - ολοκληρωτικός

Italiano (Italian)
totalitario

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - totalitário (m), totalitarista (f)

Русский (Russian)
тоталитарный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - totalitario
n. - totalitario

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - totalitär

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
极权主义的, 极权主义者

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 極權主義的
n. - 極權主義者

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 전체주의의, 일국 일당주의의
n. - 전체주의자

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 全体主義の
n. - 全体主義者

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) أستبدادى, ديكتاتوري‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮רודני, טוטליטרי‬
n. - ‮אדם הדוגל במשטר טוטליטרי‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.