autocracy
/ɔːˈtɒkrəsi/ (bre, ipa) · /ɔːˈtɑːkrəsi/ (ame, ipa) · /ȯ-ˈtä-krə-sē/ (ame, mw)
autocracy — noun
- autocracysingular
- autocraciesplural
1. a political system in which one ruler, or a very small ruling group, keeps full
a political system in which one ruler, or a very small ruling group, keeps full control and does not have to share power with voters or other institutions.
After the army takeover, the country slipped from democracy into autocracy within months.
contrast: democracy into autocracy
Students debated whether emergency powers could slowly harden into autocracy.
pattern: harden into autocracy
Imani warned that jailing reporters was a clear step toward autocracy.
The general defended autocracy as the fastest way to end political chaos.
- dictatorship
very close in meaning, but usually sounds more openly negative and often points to one dictator rather than the abstract system
- authoritarianism
broader; can describe strict control even when power is not fully concentrated in one ruler
- despotism
more literary and strongly negative, stressing cruel or arbitrary rule
- democracy
a system where leaders can be replaced through elections and power is not held by one ruler alone
文法句型
into autocracy
toward autocracy
under autocracy
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the system of rule or the concentration of power itself, not the country living under it. It often appears in political analysis with verbs such as 'slide into', 'move toward', and 'defend'.
常見錯誤
2. a state or entire society living under this kind of rule, where political contro
a state or entire society living under this kind of rule, where political control stays with one leader or a very small elite group.
Many young voters left the autocracy because opposition parties were banned.
the autocracy = the country itself
Foreign investors avoided the autocracy after the ruler seized private banks.
Caleb grew up in an autocracy where school books praised one leader.
The autocracy closed its borders after weeks of student protests.
- dictatorship
close in meaning, but often emphasizes harsher personal rule by a dictator
- regime
broader and can be neutral; it means a government or system, not always an autocratic country
- police state
narrower; stresses surveillance, fear, and heavy policing inside the state
- democracy
a state where opposition parties can compete and citizens can change leaders through elections
文法句型
in an autocracy
[adjective] autocracy
用法筆記
Usually used in reporting or criticism to label the state itself. Unlike sense 1, this sense lets you talk about life inside the country, its economy, or its institutions as a whole.