What does autocracy mean?
Word: Autocracy
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Autocracy means a system of government in which one person holds all the power.
How do you spell autocracy?
Syllables: au - toc - ra - cy
Tricky part: The ending sounds like see, so students reach for an s and write autocrasy. The sound is spelt with a c.
Watch out for: autocrasy, autocrassy, autocrasey
Memory tip: Policy, legacy, privacy: each of these closes on c and y, and autocracy belongs in that group.
Autocracy in a sentence
Example 1: Under an autocracy, ordinary people have little say in how the country is run.
Example 2: The play shows a king whose autocracy ends when his people ask for a voice.
Example 3: Our civics project compared autocracy with rule by elected leaders.
Fun Fact
The word is built from two Greek roots, one meaning self and the other meaning power, so it suggests a ruler who answers to no one else.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
autocracy
a) empire
b) democracy
c) monarchy
d) dictatorship
Show answer
b) democracy. Power shared among the people through voting is the opposite of power held by one ruler.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
caryotcua
a) autograph
b) autocracy
c) aristocracy
d) accuracy
Show answer
b) autocracy. Aristocracy needs an s and an i, accuracy has no t or o, and autograph needs a g.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The history chapter explains how an autacracy differs from a republic in the way laws are made.
a) explains
b) autacracy
c) republic
d) chapter
Show answer
b) autacracy. The word opens with the auto of automatic, so an o follows the t.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) constitution
b) goverment
c) autocracy
d) parliament
Show answer
b) goverment. The n of govern stays in place before the ment.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these would be hardest to do in an autocracy?
a) buying a railway ticket
b) planting a tree in the garden
c) voting a leader out of office
d) reading a story at home
Show answer
c) voting a leader out of office
2. A country under autocracy would most likely have ____.
a) laws made at town meetings
b) no free opposition parties
c) a leader chosen by voters
d) several strong rival parties
Show answer
b) no free opposition parties
