# autocracy

/ɔˈtɑkɹəsi/ (US) · /ɔːtˈɒkɹəsˌi/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/autocracy
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

a system where one person holds all the power and makes all the important decisions without sharing control.

For teachers: a system of government in which supreme power is concentrated in a single ruler or authority ruling without effective constitutional limits. Frequently contrasted with democracy and constitutional rule.

## Examples

- The country lives under an autocracy with one ruler.
- After the coup, the general replaced parliament with an autocracy that bans free press.
- Scholars argue that modern autocracy often survives not only through force but through controlled elections that create an appearance of choice.

## Synonyms

dictatorship

## Antonyms

democracy

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