Link Centre Dictionary

dictator

dic·ta·tor

UK/dɪkˈteɪtə/ US/ˈdɪkˌteɪtəɹ/ fairly common

noun

1.

a speaker who dictates to a secretary or a recording machine

2.

a ruler who is unconstrained by law

Synonyms
3.

a person behaves in an tyrannical manner

  • “my boss is a dictator who makes everyone work overtime”
Synonyms

Origin

From Latin dictātor (“a chief magistrate”), from dictō (“dictate, prescribe”), from dīcō (“say, speak”). By surface analysis, dictate + -or, literally “one who dictates”. Compare Old English tictator (“absolute ruler of the Roman Republic”).

Phrases

  • benevolent dictator for life
  • tin-pot dictator
  • tinpot dictator

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.