Authoritarianism and Democracy

Opposite meaning words

Authoritarianism noun - A system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power.

Usage example: a critical period that saw a number of third-world countries abandon authoritarianism for democracy

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Democracy is an antonym for authoritarianism in absolutism topic.

Democracy noun - Government in which the supreme power is held by the people and used by them directly or indirectly through representation.

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Authoritarianism is an antonym for democracy.

Cite this Source

Democracy and Authoritarianism. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 09, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/authoritarianism/democracy

Authoritarianism & Democracy. N.p., 2016. Web. 09 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/authoritarianism/democracy>.

Democracy or Authoritarianism. 2016. Accessed August 09, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/authoritarianism/democracy.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "authoritarianism" and "democracy" have occurred on timeline