authoritarian
/əˌθɔɹ.əˈtɛɹ.i.ən/adjective, noun
authoritarian is spelled A-U-T-H-O-R-I-T-A-R-I-A-N: 13 letters and 6 syllables. It appears 3.9 times per million words in written English, the 13,127th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, authoritarian means “Of, or relating to, or exhibiting strict obedience to an authority; favoring authoritarianism over civic and individual liberties” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in authoritarian?
| Letters | 13: A-U-T-H-O-R-I-T-A-R-I-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 6 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.9 times per million words; the 13,127th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is authoritarian?
Authoritarian appears 3.9 times per million words in written English, the 13,127th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce authoritarian?
- UK /ɔːˌθɒɹ.ɪˈtɛə̯.ɹɪən/
- US /əˌθɔɹ.əˈtɛɹ.i.ən/
- US /ɔˌθɔɹ.əˈtɛɹ.i.ən/
Authoritarian has 6 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Rho9998-authoritarian.wav, En-us-authoritarian.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Simplificationalizer-authoritarian.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with authoritarian?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as authoritarian from its last stressed vowel (/ɛɹiən/):
- humanitarian
- Bulgarian
- vegetarian
- ovarian
- sectarian
- totalitarian
- veterinarian
- bavarian
- egalitarian
- unitarian
- antiquarian
- parliamentarian
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of authoritarian
- more authoritarian comparative
- most authoritarian superlative
- authoritarians plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does authoritarian mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of, or relating to, or exhibiting strict obedience to an authority; favoring authoritarianism over civic and individual liberties.
the authoritarian personality
- 2
Demanding obedience to authority; marked by authoritarianism; dictatorial, tyrannical.
The authoritarian government was demanding stricter laws for low-wage peasants.
- 3
Tending to impose one's demands upon others as if one were an authority.
noun
- 1
One who commands absolute obedience to his or her authority.
The dictator was an authoritarian.
- 2
One who follows and is excessively obedient to authority.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate authoritarian?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of authoritarian: auth.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Authoritarian in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | autoritaire |
| German | autoritär |
| Portuguese | autoritário , mandão |
| Spanish | autoritario |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.