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dictator Definition

dic·ta·tor (dik′tāt′ər, dik tāt′ər)

noun

  1. in ancient Rome, a magistrate with supreme authority, appointed in times of emergency
  2. a ruler with absolute power and authority, esp. one who exercises it tyrannically
  3. a person who orders others about domineeringly, or one whose pronouncements on some subject are meant to be taken as the final word
  4. a person who dictates words for another to write down

Etymology: ME dictatour < L dictator: see dictate

dictator Synonyms

dictator

n.

autocrat, despot, tyrant, strongman, absolute ruler, absolute monarch, czar, tsar, usurper, oppressor, authoritarian, absolutist, warlord, terrorist, oligarch, inquisitor, master, leader, fascist, Führer (German), duce (Italian), caudillo (Spanish), caesar, kaiser, ringleader, magnate, tycoon, mogul, shah, rajah, sultan, sheik, emir, khan, lama, lord, commander, chief, adviser, overlord, taskmaster, disciplinarian, headman, caliph, pharaoh, martinet, lord of the ascendant, sachem, wirepuller*, cock of the walk*, person at the wheel*, Nazi*, boss*, robber baron*, slave driver*, Simon Legree*; see also leader 2, ruler 1.

dictator Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • depose: We also won a war and deposed a brutal dictator.
  • topple: We topple an evil dictator in Iraq, yet support an evil dictator in Uzbekistan.
  • oust: February 24 was the 20th anniversary of the people's power uprising which ousted former dictator President Ferdinand Marcos.
  • overthrow: The agency's best efforts at overthrowing the Iraqi dictator have failed for a decade.
  • appease: The message will once again ring out across the world: Britain does not appease dictators.
  • hate: He has decreed that the hated former dictator Abacha should be allowed to keep $ 100 million of the money he looted.

Converse of subject

  • rule: For centuries, the country was ruled by dictators who imposed their cruel wishes on the miserable population.
  • run: It's a one-man show run by this spectacularly grubby little dictator, Islam Karimov.

Adjective modifier

  • brutal: The man was a brutal dictator who committed terrible crimes against his people.
  • murderous: She calls Robert Mugabe ' a murderous dictator ' .
  • fascist: Some, no doubt, would choose a fascist dictator!
  • ruthless: So we had a choice to make: either take the word of a ruthless dictator, or take action to defend America.
  • benevolent: Linux is the prime example of the ` ` benevolent dictator ' ' model of open-source development.
  • Fascist: With the arrival of Fascist dictators in Europe Fenner Brockway began to have doubts about the political merits of pacifism.

Noun used with modifier

  • tin-pot: As far as the future's concerned that depends on tin-pot dictators who cause trouble needing the British forces to clear up the mess.
  • labor: Of course, Galloway is not a would-be labor dictator along the crude, hamfisted and crazy lines of Arthur Scargill.
  • world: Another popular SF theme was that of the world dictator, the iron man, who rules the globe or the galaxy.

Possessives

country: Both have a history of debt and poverty for which the countries ' dictators and western creditors share the blame.

Preposition: of

country: Raul's a maniac dictator of a small Asian country who's kidnaped loads of UN soldiers, holding them to ransom.

Preposition: for

life: Julius Caesar, a powerful politician and army leader, seized power of Rome and became dictator for life.