dictator

noun

ˈdik-ˌtā-tər How to pronounce dictator (audio)
Definition of dictatornext
as in tyrant
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way the dictator had a fierce stranglehold on the country, keeping its people in poverty and ignorance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dictator Franco would go on to win the war in 1939 and rule Spain as an authoritarian dictator until his death in 1975. — The Learning Network, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 There’s a dictator, and that’s the guy that’s throwing the yellow hankies. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026 Thyssen, who was originally a supporter of Adolf Hitler in the 1920s, later became a vehement critic of the dictator in the late ’30s. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026 Well, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and I often argue, jokingly, about which of us is the bigger dictator. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dictator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictator
tyrant
Noun
  • Plato warned that an unhealthy democracy can easily fall prey to a tyrant.
    — Kenneth Michael White, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the rumors, and a few of the reports at the time, paint Khrzhanovsky as a tyrant who went mad with power, like Colonel Kurtz in Heart of Darkness (or maybe Francis Ford Coppola making Apocalypse Now).
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of tyrant

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dictations
dictator
dictatorial
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Cite this Entry

“Dictator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictator. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dictator

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