authoritarianism

Definition of Authoritarianism

(noun) A type of government that maintains near absolute control typically by force, showing little concern for public opinion, and governed by a single individual, group, or class.

Examples of Authoritarianism

• Cuba under Fidel Castro (1926–2016)
• Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe (born 1924)

Types of Authoritarianism

• autocracy
• totalitarianism

Authoritarianism Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: au·thor·i·tar·i·an·ism

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /əˌθɔrəˈtɛriəˌnɪzəm/
• British English – /ɔːˌθɒrɪˈteərɪənɪz(ə)m/

Usage Notes

• Plural: authoritarianisms
• Also called:
  • authoritarian government
  • authoritarian political system
  • authoritarian regime

Additional Information

• Crime and Law Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Politics and Policy Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Word origin of “authoritarianism” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
• O’Donnell, Guillermo A. 1999. Counterpoints: Selected Essays on Authoritarianism and Democratization. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.

Related Terms

• authority
• cadre
• core nations
• democracy
• government
• oligarchy
• peripheral nation
• power
• State
• totalitarianism
• Weber, Max
  

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Works Consulted

Bilton, Tony, Kevin Bonnett, Pip Jones, David Skinner, Michelle Stanworth, and Andrew Webster. 1996. Introductory Sociology. 3rd ed. London: Macmillan.

Brinkerhoff, David, Lynn White, Suzanne Ortega, and Rose Weitz. 2011. Essentials of Sociology. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ferrante-Wallace, Joan. 2011. Sociology: A Global Perspective. 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ferris, Kerry, and Jill Stein. 2010. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology. 2nd ed. New York: Norton.

Hughes, Michael, and Carolyn J. Kroehler. 2011. Sociology: The Core. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Kendall, Diana. 2011. Sociology in Our Times. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Macionis, John. 2012. Sociology. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Reference. (http://www.oxfordreference.com/).

Taylor & Francis. (N.d.) Routledge Handbooks Online. (https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/).

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).

Wiley. (N.d.) Wiley Online Library. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/).

Cite the Definition of Authoritarianism

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “authoritarianism.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved January 20, 2025 (https://sociologydictionary.org/authoritarianism/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

authoritarianism. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/authoritarianism/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “authoritarianism.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed January 20, 2025. https://sociologydictionary.org/authoritarianism/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“authoritarianism.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2025. <https://sociologydictionary.org/authoritarianism/>.