authoritarian:

(plural: ‘authoritarians‘)

an authoritarian, Hitler of Nazi Germany

a person who believes that rules, regulations and laws should be obeyed without question whether they are right or wrong;

a ruler with complete authority and control;

a dictator; a tyrant; an autocrat;

a person who expects others to follow him/her without question,

a parent being an authoritarian/authoritarian parenting

e.g.

As he grew older and more powerful, John became an authoritarian and hated by everyone!

An authoritarian can enjoy the power of his/her authority only for a short time because sooner or later, the people rebel against him/her.

Hitler of former Nazi Germany in the past and President Megawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia in the recent times are alleged to be authoritarians who lost their positions due to excessive use of their authority.

‘Authoritarian’ is more commonly used in its adjective form, e.g. ‘authoritarian leadership’, ‘authoritarian personality’, ‘authoritarian parents’, ‘authoritarian government’, etc., and to refer to countries or governments that impose strict rules on their citizens, often punishing those who question their authority with severe punishments including killing them.
For an informative article on authoritarianism, please click here.

Return to “authoritarian ~ authoritative” in Words Often Confused.

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

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