anti-authoritarian
|an-ti-au-tho-ri-ta-ri-an|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.əˌθɔr.ɪˈtɛr.i.ən/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.əˌθɒr.ɪˈtɛə.ri.ən/
against authoritarian authority
Etymology
'anti-authoritarian' originates from Modern English, combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí' meaning 'against') and 'authoritarian' (from French 'autoritaire' ultimately from Latin 'auctoritas' meaning 'authority').
'authoritarian' developed from French 'autoritaire' and Medieval Latin influences from 'auctoritas'; the English compound 'anti-authoritarian' arose by attaching 'anti-' to 'authoritarian' in the 20th century as political vocabulary expanded.
Initially the components meant 'against' + 'authority'; over time the compound came to denote specifically an ideological stance or person opposing authoritarian systems or practices.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who is opposed to authoritarian systems or practices; someone who resists or rejects authoritarian authority.
As an anti-authoritarian, he joined grassroots campaigns against police militarization.
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Adjective 1
opposed to authoritarianism or to strict obedience to authority; resisting centralized, coercive or oppressive control.
She held anti-authoritarian views and often criticized rigid institutional rules.
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Last updated: 2025/08/20 20:08