Etymology

authoritarian

A1U1T1H4O1R1I1T1A1R1I1A1N1

Today it means: Of, or relating to, or exhibiting strict obedience to an authority; favoring authoritarianism over civic and individual liberties. Full definition →

English authority ← Middle English auctorite ← Old French autorité
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ewg-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂owg-éye-ti
  3. Proto-Italic*augejō
  4. Proto-Italic*augeō
  5. Latinaugeō
  6. Latinauctor
  7. Latinauctōritā
  8. Old Frenchautorité
  9. Middle Englishauctorite
  10. Englishauthority
  11. English todayauthoritarian

From authority + -arian, circa 1880.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.