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.

Here, it justifies the creation of a dystopian, paranoid police state because it will make it easier to find someone’s lost dog.

From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026

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 • Dec. 16, 2025

He’s also enlisted local police, state troopers and private security for the events.

From Salon • May 5, 2025

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 • Jul. 19, 2023

“It’s run like a police state, and it’s boring and clueless.”

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz