police state

NOUN

totalitarian rule

Synonyms

WEAK

brute force despotism rule of terror totalitarian government totalitarian regime totalitarianism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The book’s most edifying compilations recount the Soviet people’s unconquerable yearning to live, create and love freely, despite the daily menaces of a police state and deafening propaganda.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is a plan that admits the realities of life in a police state.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This campus has essentially become a police state,” Elisa Pabon, the postdoctoral unit chair for the union, said gesturing to uniformed security guards standing nearby.

From Los Angeles Times

“This is not a police state, it’s a state that provides security,” Ulloa said.

From Seattle Times

Some of the Americans were motivated by evangelical zeal or simply attracted by the mystery of a severely cloistered police state fueled by anti-U.S. hatred.

From Seattle Times