police state: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Not exactly. All police states are authoritarian, but not all dictatorships are police states. A 'police state' specifically emphasizes the central role of police and security services in enforcing control and repression on a daily basis.

Political theorists warn that democracies can erode into police states through the gradual expansion of executive power, erosion of civil liberties, and the use of security agencies for political repression, often under the guise of combating terrorism or unrest.

They overlap significantly. A 'surveillance state' focuses on the mass collection of data and monitoring of the population. A 'police state' includes surveillance but places greater emphasis on the overt use of police power, intimidation, detention, and violence to enforce compliance.

Almost never by governments themselves, as it is a term of condemnation. It is used by critics, academics, journalists, and human rights organizations in reports and analyses.

A country whose government maintains strict and repressive control over the social, economic, and political life of its citizens, primarily through the power of the police and security forces.

Police state is usually formal, academic, political, journalistic in register.

Police state: in British English it is pronounced /pəˈliːs steɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /pəˈliːs steɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.