dictator
noun
dic·ta·tor
ˈdik-ˌtā-tər 
dik-ˈtā-
1
a
: a person granted absolute emergency power
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)
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
Recent Examples on the Web
In theory, Lee and Trump are well suited as a pair to wrangle the North Korean dictator.
—
John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2025
Individual rights shield us from the initiation of physical force – whether by tax collectors, or dictators threatening us with missiles.
—Ben Bayer, Oc Register, 19 May 2025
Romania’s two dominant parties have, amid an endless swirl of corruption scandals, rotated in and out of power since the 1989 overthrow of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
—Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Set against the backdrop of Imperial Russia’s criminal underworld and revolutionary ferment, the film explores the making of the bloody dictator who would reshape the 20th century through terror, war and ideology — and the largest bank heist in Russian history, according to the logline.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictator
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John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2025
Individual rights shield us from the initiation of physical force – whether by tax collectors, or dictators threatening us with missiles.
—Ben Bayer, Oc Register, 19 May 2025
Romania’s two dominant parties have, amid an endless swirl of corruption scandals, rotated in and out of power since the 1989 overthrow of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
—Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Set against the backdrop of Imperial Russia’s criminal underworld and revolutionary ferment, the film explores the making of the bloody dictator who would reshape the 20th century through terror, war and ideology — and the largest bank heist in Russian history, according to the logline.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Cite this Entry
“Dictator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictator. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dictator
noun
dic·ta·tor
ˈdik-ˌtāt-ər
dik-ˈtāt-ər
1
: a person who rules with total authority and often in a cruel or brutal manner
2
: one that dictates
dictatorial
adjective
ˌdik-tə-ˈtōr-ē-əl
-tȯr-
dictatorially
adverb
-ē-ə-lē
dictatorialness
noun
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