dictator

noun

dic·​ta·​tor ˈdik-ˌtā-tər How to pronounce dictator (audio)
dik-ˈtā-
Synonyms of dictatornext
1
a
: a person granted absolute emergency power
especially, history : one appointed by the senate (see senate sense 1b) of ancient Rome
b
: one holding complete autocratic control : a person with unlimited governmental power
c
: one ruling in an absolute (see absolute sense 2) and often oppressive way
fascist dictators
2
: one who says or reads something for a person to transcribe or for a machine to record : one that dictates (see dictate entry 1 sense 1)

Synonyms of dictator

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Examples of dictator in a Sentence

The country was ruled by a military dictator. the dictator had a fierce stranglehold on the country, keeping its people in poverty and ignorance
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Until late August, however, the country had not been very unified or stable for 15 years, even after the ouster of a dictator in 2024. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026 For years the company has rewritten its own rules, redesigned its products, and even bent to the demands of dictators to preserve market access. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian dictator Omar Torrijos signed the Carter-Torrijos Treaties transferring control of the Panama Canal from the United States to Panama by 2000. — USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 The Syrian dictator gave Moscow unprecedented concessions in the form of a 49-year lease in the late 2010s. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dictator

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dictatour, borrowed from Latin dictātor, from dictāre "to say repeatedly, speak aloud words to be transcribed by another, issue as an order" + -tor, agent suffix — more at dictate entry 1

Note: Though formally a derivative of dictāre, the noun dictātor is attested perhaps two centuries earlier in Latin and may be an independent formation, though the model for it is not clear; the sense "issue as an order" of dictāre may reflect influence of dictātor. The form tictator used in the Old English translation of Orosius's Historiae Adversum Paganos had no subsequent use.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dictator was before the 12th century

Rhymes for dictator

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Cite this Entry

“Dictator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictator. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dictator

noun
dic·​ta·​tor ˈdik-ˌtāt-ər How to pronounce dictator (audio)
dik-ˈtāt-ər
1
: a person who rules with total authority and often in a cruel or brutal manner
2
: one that dictates
dictatorial
ˌdik-tə-ˈtōr-ē-əl, 
-tȯr-
adjective
dictatorially
-ē-ə-lē
adverb
dictatorialness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dictator

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dictator

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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