Definition

1. Noun:
   • A government that subordinates the individual to the state and strictly controls all aspects of life by coercive measures: A political system where the state holds total authority over society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life, often through force, propaganda, and surveillance. Individual rights are suppressed for the perceived good of the state.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The historian described the regime as a classic totalitarian state, where dissent was not tolerated.
  • Living in a totalitarian state often means a complete lack of political and personal freedom.
  • The novel depicts the psychological effects of life in a totalitarian state.

Advanced Usage

• "the machinery of a totalitarian state": Refers to the complex systems (e.g., secret police, propaganda bureaus) used to maintain control.

  • The book analyzes the efficient yet brutal machinery of a totalitarian state.

• "emerge as a totalitarian state": Describes the process by which a government becomes totalitarian.

  • The country rapidly emerged as a totalitarian state after the coup.

Variants and Related Words

• Totalitarianism (n): The political concept or system of government that characterizes a totalitarian state.

  • The philosopher wrote extensively critiquing the dangers of totalitarianism.

• Totalitarian (adj): Describing something related to or characteristic of a totalitarian state.

  • The totalitarian regime fell after decades of rule.

Synonyms

• Dictatorship: A form of government with a single leader or party holding absolute power, often without free elections. (Note: A totalitarian state is a specific, extreme type of dictatorship.)
• Authoritarian regime: A government that demands obedience to authority and restricts individual freedoms. (Note: Totalitarian states are a more all-encompassing and ideological form of authoritarianism.)

Related Phrases

• Police state: A state where the government exercises rigid and repressive control over social, economic, and political life, especially through a secret police force. This is a key feature of a totalitarian state.
  • The totalitarian state functioned as a ruthless police state.

Related Concepts

• Ideological control: The enforcement of a single, state-sponsored ideology, which is a hallmark of a totalitarian state.
• Cult of personality: Extreme public adulation of a leader, often promoted by a totalitarian state.

Noun

1. a government that subordinates the individual to the state and strictly controls all aspects of life by coercive measures