dictature

dictatorship

noun deek-tah-TUR Rare

Origin: Latin dictatura, from dictator 'one who dictates'

Usage Note

Dictature refers to an authoritarian regime ruled by a single person or party. The related noun dictateur means 'dictator', and the adjective dictatorial means 'dictatorial'. In informal French, the word is sometimes used hyperbolically: c'est une dictature ici ('it's a dictatorship here') to complain about strict rules.

Examples

"Le pays a vécu sous une dictature pendant vingt ans."

Natural Translation

The country lived under a dictatorship for twenty years.

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