fascism

noun

Definition of fascismnext
as in tyranny
rule, control, or leadership by one person with absolute power A soaring crime rate and civil unrest were harbingers to the rise of fascism in the country.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fascism At least a million soldiers fighting in the British and French armies against fascism were Muslims. — Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026 And yet, amid their country’s slide into fascism, these folks persisted — for a while longer, at least. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026 The film starts in Paris but Taro’s story begins in her native Leipzig in 1932, where Gerta Pohorylle, as she is then known, is a young woman whose political conscience is awakened by the rise of fascism. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026 There are so many aspects — of colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, all the isms, and fascism, which is coming back — that avoiding politics would be anti-historical. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fascism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fascism
  1. tyranny
  2. dictatorship
  3. totalitarianism
  4. authoritarianism
Noun
  • But, as Roy points out, finding love with Ellen actually gives Brian the strength to stand up to Lovat’s tyranny rather than bow to it.
    — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Lawmakers from Fidesz and its coalition party, the Christian Democrats, did not take part in Monday’s vote, calling the charges against their lawmakers political tyranny by Magyar’s government.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • The Iranian revolution, the North Korean dictatorship, the Palestinians held hostage by Hamas, the Lebanese held hostage by Hezbollah, the Taliban in Afganistan, The Chinese firewall, all of them share the same failure mode.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do.
    — Connor Greene, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Most often, socialism morphs into totalitarianism, as its egalitarian ideals are no match for human nature.
    — Nolan Finley The Detroit News, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Interesting, too, how the project’s warnings about Russian totalitarianism, particularly stark in DAU.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of totalitarianism
Noun
  • But our survey respondents’ subsequent shift toward national identity, coupled with a further decline in mosque attendance, suggest that Erdogan’s turn toward authoritarianism may have intensified an ongoing trend toward liberalization.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Critics see a once-lively multiethnic crossroads suffocated by Chinese authoritarianism.
    — David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of authoritarianism

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fascination
fascism
fashion
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Cite this Entry

“Fascism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fascism. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fascism

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fascism

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