Totalitarian
Relating to a political system in which the state holds absolute power and seeks to regulate nearly every aspect of public and private life, often with no meaningful opposition or personal freedoms.
adjectiveTotalitarian
Relating to a political system in which the state holds absolute power and seeks to regulate nearly every aspect of public and private life, often with no meaningful opposition or personal freedoms.
adjectiveImagine This
Visualize a nation with a single party, where every newspaper, school lesson, and private conversation is monitored, and a central leader dictates all aspects of lifeβeducation, art, religion, and personal choices.
Sounds Like
toh-TAL-uh-TAIR-ee-Ιn
Looks Like
Looks like a combination of 'total' and the suffix '-arian', suggesting total control
Remember This
Totalitarian regimes aim to control both public and private life and typically deploy propaganda, secret police, and censorship. They are more extreme than authoritarian systems, where power is concentrated but not always total over every life domain. Notable historical examples include Nazi Germany and the Stalinist USSR.
Other Forms
Connect With
authoritarianism, dictatorship, autocracy, despotism, tyranny
Note
Do not confuse with 'authoritarian.' Totalitarianism implies near-total domination of society, including beliefs and private life, whereas authoritarianism may permit some social or economic freedoms but concentrates power in a leader or ruling party. The common noun form is 'totalitarianism'; the adjective is 'totalitarian'.