dictator
Americannoun
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a person exercising absolute power, especially a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession.
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(in ancient Rome) a person invested with supreme authority during a crisis, the regular magistracy being subordinated to him until the crisis was met.
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a person who authoritatively prescribes conduct, usage, etc..
a dictator of fashion.
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a person who dictates, as to a secretary.
noun
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a ruler who is not effectively restricted by a constitution, laws, recognized opposition, etc
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an absolute, esp tyrannical, ruler
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(in ancient Rome) a person appointed during a crisis to exercise supreme authority
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a person who makes pronouncements, as on conduct, fashion, etc, which are regarded as authoritative
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a person who behaves in an authoritarian or tyrannical manner
Other Word Forms
- dictatress noun
Etymology
Origin of dictator
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin dictātor, from dictā(re) “to say repeatedly, prescribe, order” ( dictate ) + -tor -tor
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For years, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein sealed off Iranian influence in his country, viewing Tehran as a threat.
From Los Angeles Times
She’s the daughter of Kim Jong Un, the third-generation leader of North Korea—and the only one of the dictator’s children to have ever been shown in public.
More and more, human rights experts, lawyers, even some celebrities are joining Iranians in condemning the lazy rhetoric that sustains Iran’s dictators.
Juan Carlos, who is 88, took the throne in 1975, following the death of his mentor, the dictator Francisco Franco.
From BBC
Franco - Spain's brutal dictator - died in 1975, paving the way for the introduction of a parliamentary monarchy.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
