Word
totalitarianism
Phoneticsto·tal·i·tar·i·an·ism
US/ˌtoʊˌtæɫəˈtɛɹiəˌnɪzəm/
UK/təʊtˌælɪtˈeəɹiənˌɪzəm/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. a system of government where one person or group has total control over everything. In this system, the government makes all the rules and people are not allowed to disagree or have their own opinions.
n. a form of government that permits no individual freedom and that seeks to subordinate the individual to the state. Characterised by the concentration of power in a single party or leader and the suppression of political and personal liberties.
Examples
“The country moved toward totalitarianism after the new leader took power.”
“Historians often study the rise of totalitarianism in the twentieth century to understand how democracies can fail.”
“The novel explores the psychological toll of living under a totalitarianism that demands absolute conformity and punishes even the slightest deviation from state-mandated thought.”
Examples
simple
“The country moved toward totalitarianism after the new leader took power.”
contextual
“Historians often study the rise of totalitarianism in the twentieth century to understand how democracies can fail.”
complex
“The novel explores the psychological toll of living under a totalitarianism that demands absolute conformity and punishes even the slightest deviation from state-mandated thought.”
Real-World Examples
“It also became a byword for totalitarianism - as one-party states and dictators proclaimed Marxism as their guiding philosophy.” “Not to be pessimistic but one reads the news.” Then she came up with an alternative, Universe B, to be “this kind of mirror image – totalitarianism instead of chaos”.” Etymology
1938, from totalitarian + -ism, modeled after Italian totalitarismo (1923, by Giovanni Amendola) and German terms such as Totalstaat (1927, The Concept of the Political, by Carl Schmitt).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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