dictator

noun

A totalitarian leader of a country, nation, or government.

A tyrannical boss or authority figure.

(history) A magistrate without colleague in republican Ancient Rome, who held full executive authority for a term granted by the Senate, typically to conduct a war.

Misspelling of dictater. [One who dictates; one who gives dictation.]

Roots

dicodict- · Latin · say

Synonyms for dictator

authoritarianadj despotn tyrantn autocratn autarch oppressorn usurpern overlordn oligarchn warlordn

Synonyms & related words for dictator

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of dictator — including authoritarian, despot, tyrant, autocrat, autarch, oppressor. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to dictator

Explore words related to dictator — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include dictatorship, dictatorial, tyrannously, despotic, autocratical, autocratic, tyrannic, tyrannical. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for dictator

Common synonyms for dictator include authoritarian, despot, tyrant, autocrat, autarch, oppressor, usurper, overlord — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does dictator come from?

The word dictator breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root dict-, from Latin dico (“say”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.