to·tal·i·tar·i·an·ism
Audio Help [toh-tal-i-tair-ee-uh-niz-uh
m] Pronunciation Key
Audio Help [toh-tal-i-tair-ee-uh-niz-uh
m] Pronunciation Key –noun
| 1. | the practices and principles of a totalitarian regime. |
| 2. | absolute control by the state or a governing branch of a highly centralized institution. |
| 3. | the character or quality of an autocratic or authoritarian individual, group, or government: the totalitarianism of the father. |
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
totalitarianism
To learn more about totalitarianism visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| to·tal·i·tar·i·an
Audio Help (tō-tāl'ĭ-târ'ē-ən) Pronunciation Key
adj. Of, relating to, being, or imposing a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed: "A totalitarian regime crushes all autonomous institutions in its drive to seize the human soul" (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.) n. A practitioner or supporter of such a government. [total + (author)itarian.] to·tal'i·tar'i·an·ism n. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
| totalitarianism | |
noun | |
| 1. | a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.) |
| 2. | the principle of complete and unrestricted power in government [syn: absolutism] |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
totalitarianism [(toh-tal-uh-tair-ee-uh-niz-uhm)]
Domination by a government of all political, social, and economic activities in a nation. Totalitarianism is a phenomenon of the twentieth century: earlier forms of despotism and autocracy lacked the technical capacity to control every aspect of life. The term is applied both to fascist governments (see fascism) and to many forms of communism.
[Chapter:] World Politics
| The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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