What does autocracy mean?
An autocracy is a system of government in which all supreme power rests with a single individual — a monarch, dictator, or emperor — who rules without meaningful constitutional constraints, checks from other institutions, or accountability to the people. The term derives from the Greek roots autos ('self') and kratos ('power' or 'rule'), so it literally means 'rule by oneself.' Historically it describes regimes such as the Russian Empire under the tsars, where the monarch claimed absolute, divinely sanctioned authority. In modern usage the word appears frequently in political science and journalism when contrasting authoritarian regimes with democracies. Autocracy carries strongly negative connotations, evoking censorship, repression, and the absence of individual rights, though writers occasionally speak of 'benevolent autocracy' to describe an absolute ruler assumed to act for the public good. Related forms include 'autocrat' for such a ruler and 'autocratic' for their style of rule.
nounA system of government in which one person holds absolute power, without effective constitutional limits or accountability. It can also mean a country or state ruled this way.
- A form of government in which supreme power is concentrated in the hands of one person whose decisions are not subject to legal restraint or popular control.
- A country or state governed in this way (e.g. 'the Russian autocracy').
"The tsar's autocracy left no room for dissent, and reformers were exiled or silenced."
"Under an autocracy, the ruler's word is law, and institutions exist only to carry out his will."
"Nineteenth-century Russia was an autocracy in which the tsar claimed authority directly from God."
The plural refers to multiple autocratic states or instances of autocratic rule, as in comparative political writing.
"Political scientists compare modern autocracies to identify the strategies rulers use to hold power."
The word 'autocracy' literally means 'rule by oneself' — in ancient Greek it was the self-description of men who answered to absolutely no one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of autocracy
Autocracy entered English in the mid-17th century, borrowed via French or directly from Medieval Latin autocratia. Its ultimate roots are Greek: autos, meaning 'self,' and kratos, meaning 'power' or 'strength.' It shares these elements with cognates such as aristocracy, democracy, and bureaucracy, which combine kratos with other prefixes, and with autonomy and autocrat, which share the prefix autos. The related noun 'autocrat' came into English slightly earlier and originally described anyone holding independent authority.
Related word forms
How autocracy is actually used
Autocracy is a formal or academic term, common in political science, history, and journalism about government systems. It typically carries strongly negative connotations of oppression and unchecked power, though the rarer phrase 'benevolent autocracy' acknowledges the theoretical possibility of a well-intentioned absolute ruler. The adjective 'autocratic' is also applied figuratively to domineering individuals, such as bosses, while the noun itself usually refers to states and regimes.
Easily confused with autocracy
Bureaucracy is rule by officials and administrative departments, whereas autocracy is rule by a single all-powerful individual; the words sound similar but describe different systems.
Autobiography is the story of a person's life written by that person, sharing only the Greek prefix auto- ('self') with autocracy.