1
as in monarchy
a system of government in which a religious body holds unlimited power
Under a theocracy, an entire nation officially follows one religion.
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2
as in democracy
a group of people who live in a territory ruled by a religious body
The country was a theocracy governed by religious leaders.
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Recent Examples of theocracy
The protests, taking root in economic issues, have heard demonstrators chant against Iran’s theocracy as well.
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Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
The Wilsons are members of Christ Church, a congregation in Moscow known for its controversial vision to transform the city into a theocracy through its educational system and associated businesses.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 15 Dec. 2025
Iran's theocracy faces a growing squeeze from the country's rapidly depreciating rial currency and economic sanctions imposed due to Tehran's nuclear program.
—Nasser Karimi, Arkansas Online, 14 Dec. 2025
Based on Margaret Atwood’s award-winning novel of the same name, The Testaments takes place in the dystopian theocracy of Gilead.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for theocracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theocracy
Noun
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Unrest at the Tehran bazaar is particularly unsettling for officials because the shuttering of shops at the ancient marketplace and protests from the merchant class were key elements that led to the overthrow of the monarchy in 1979.—
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It's named after the owner of the mine, Thomas Cullinan, and has been in the possession of the British monarchy since 1907.—
Noun
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On the issues of crime and immigration, Republicans were seen as more capable, while Democrats outranked them on health care and democracy.—
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Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado, who just won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for years of fighting to restore democracy to her country, and Lionel Messi.—
Noun
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But for anyone outside the British elite, the constitutional monarchism that emerged after the civil wars did not look much like democracy or true liberty.—
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And the Decemberists tried to overthrow the Tsar and insist on having some of the more basic aspects of representative constitutional monarchism introduced into Russia.—
Noun
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Over the past few years, the kingdom has been one of the most active markets for stock offerings, driven by sales of shares in the state oil giant Saudi Aramco and holdings of its sovereign wealth fund.—
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The island is a self-governing territory of the kingdom of Denmark and thus part of the NATO military alliance.—
Noun
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His socialist dictatorship, hostile to human life, crushed Venezuelans’ freedoms for years.—
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One of his uncles had been part of the resistance to the right-wing military dictatorship that controlled Greece between 1967 and 1974.—
Noun
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OneCoin was reportedly banking with JSC Capital Bank in the former Soviet republic of Georgia at least for some time in 2015.—
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Every cycle, every generation, there is a relearning of the truths of living in a democratic republic.—
Cite this Entry
“Theocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theocracy. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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