antiauthoritarian
|an-ti-au-tho-ri-ta-ri-an|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.əˌθɔːr.ɪˈtɛr.i.ən/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.ɔːˌθɒr.ɪˈtɛr.i.ən/
against strict authority
Etymology
'antiauthoritarian' originates from a modern compound of the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') and 'authoritarian' (from French/Latin roots ultimately related to Latin 'auctoritas' meaning 'authority').
'authoritarian' came into English from French 'autoritaire' (and via Latin 'auctoritas' for 'authority'); the compound 'anti-' + 'authoritarian' formed in modern English to express opposition to authoritarianism, yielding 'antiauthoritarian'.
Initially the elements meant 'against' + 'authority'; over time the compound came to specifically mean 'opposed to authoritarianism or authoritarian control' in political and social contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who is opposed to authoritarianism or who resists authoritative control.
Many antiauthoritarians took part in the protest against the new regulations.
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Antonyms
Adjective 1
opposed to authoritarianism or to the concentration of power in authorities; resisting or rejecting strict control or hierarchical authority.
Her antiauthoritarian views made her suspicious of centralized institutions.
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Last updated: 2025/08/27 18:29