Dictatorship

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈdɪktæɪtəʃɪp/

Definitions

1. A form of government where one person or small group holds absolute power without democratic accountability or constitutional limits
2. A system of governance characterized by the concentration of power in a single authority or a select few, lacking popular representation and allowing little to no political freedom
3. An authoritarian regime in which a single leader or a dominant group exerts control over the state, often suppressing dissent and disregarding civil liberties

Etymology: Dictatorship is a plain compound: "dictator" with the suffix "-ship" added. The Latin root is "dictāre," "to dictate" or "to order," which comes from "dīcere," "to say." In Rome, a dictator was a magistrate appointed for a limited term, usually six months, to handle a grave emergency such as war or civil unrest. The office was meant to be temporary and to hand power back once the crisis passed, so the sense of absolute, unchecked rule came later. The "-ship" ending is older than the Latin borrowing. It comes from Old English "-scipe," meaning a state, condition or quality, which gave English words like "friendship" and "kingship." Joining it to "dictator" creates a noun for the condition or system of being ruled by such a figure.

Synonyms: autocracy, tyranny, despotism, totalitarianism, oppression

Antonyms: democracy, freedom, liberty, republic, representation