phobocracy means A system under which society is governed by fear; or a society of this kind.
phobocracy is pronounced /fɪˈbɒk.ɹə.si/.
Why “phobocracy” is a great word
A system of government or a society ruled and maintained through the strategic instillation of fear. From the combining form phobo- (from Ancient Greek φόβος (phóbos), meaning 'fear') + -cracy (from Ancient Greek -κρατία (-kratía), from κράτος (krátos), meaning 'power, rule'). Unlike 'tyranny,' which fixates on the cruel caprice of a single ruler, or 'democracy,' which is founded on popular consent, a phobocracy is defined by its machinery—fear is not a byproduct but the essential fuel. It is the neighbor who disappears without a sound, the unspoken rule against gathering, the constant dread that makes a citizen patrol their own thoughts—the quiet understanding that the most potent prison is built not from walls, but from the anticipation of what lies within them.
Etymology
From phobo- (“fear”) + -cracy (“rule”).
noun
- A system under which society is governed by fear; or a society of this kind.“Has international pressure has finally forced South Korea to abandon years of official apathy about the phobocracy that is North Korea?”
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