Definitions for dictator
ˈdɪk teɪ tər, dɪkˈteɪ tərdic·ta·tor

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.0 / 3 votes

1. dictatornoun

   a speaker who dictates to a secretary or a recording machine

2. dictator, potentatenoun

   a ruler who is unconstrained by law

3. authoritarian, dictatornoun

   a person who behaves in a tyrannical manner

   "my boss is a dictator who makes everyone work overtime"

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 2 votes

1. dictatornoun

   Originally, a magistrate without colleague in republican ancient Rome, who held full executive authority for a term granted by the senate (legislature), typically to conduct a war

2. dictatornoun

   A totalitarian leader of a country, nation, or government

3. dictatornoun

   A tyrannical boss, or authority figure

4. dictatornoun

   A person who dictates text (e.g. letters to a clerk)

5. dictatornoun

   A ruler or Führer, the highest level of authority.

6. Etymology: From dictator, from dicto, from dico.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. DICTATORnoun

   Etymology: Latin.

   1. A magistrate of Rome made in times of exigence and distress, and invested with absolute authority.

   Kind dictators made, when they came home,
   Their vanquish’d foes free citizens of Rome. Edmund Waller.

   Julius with honour tam’d Rome’s foreign foes;
   But patriots fell, ere the dictator rose. Matthew Prior.

   2. One invested with absolute authority.

   Unanimous they all commit the care,
   And management of this main enterprize,
   To him their great dictator. John Milton, Paradise Regain’d, b. i.

   3. One whose credit or authority enables him to direct the conduct or opinion of others.

   Nor is it a small power it gives one man over another, to have the authority to be the dictator of principles, and teacher of unquestionable truths. John Locke.

   That riches, honours, and outward splendour, should set up persons for dictators to all the rest of mankind, is a most shameful invasion of the right of our understanding. Isaac Watts.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Dictator

   A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times of emergency (see Roman dictator and justitium).Like the term tyrant, and to a lesser degree autocrat, dictator came to be used almost exclusively as a non-titular term for oppressive rule. In modern usage the term dictator is generally used to describe a leader who holds or abuses an extraordinary amount of personal power. Dictatorships are often characterised by some of the following: suspension of elections and civil liberties; proclamation of a state of emergency; rule by decree; repression of political opponents; not abiding by the procedures of the rule of law, and the existence of a cult of personality centered on the leader. Dictatorships are often one-party or dominant-party states.A wide variety of leaders coming to power in different kinds of regimes, such as one-party states, dominant-party states, and civilian governments under a personal rule, have been described as dictators.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Dictatornoun

   one who dictates; one who prescribes rules and maxims authoritatively for the direction of others

2. Dictatornoun

   one invested with absolute authority; especially, a magistrate created in times of exigence and distress, and invested with unlimited power

3. Etymology: [L.]

FreebaseRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Dictator

   A dictator is a ruler who does not rule through democratic means. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship. The word originated as the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the republic in times of emergency. Like the term "tyrant", and to a lesser degree "autocrat", "dictator" came to be used almost exclusively as a non-titular term for oppressive, even abusive rule, yet had rare modern titular use. In modern usage, the term "dictator" is generally used to describe a leader who holds and/or abuses an extraordinary amount of personal power, especially the power to make laws without effective restraint by a legislative assembly. Dictatorships are often characterised by some of the following traits: suspension of elections and of civil liberties; proclamation of a state of emergency; rule by decree; repression of political opponents without abiding by rule of law procedures; these include single-party state, and cult of personality. The term "dictator" is comparable to – but not synonymous with – the ancient concept of a tyrant; initially "tyrant", like "dictator", did not carry negative connotations. A wide variety of leaders coming to power in a number of different kinds of regimes, such as military juntas, single-party states and civilian governments under personal rule, have been described as dictators. They may hold left or right-wing views, or can even be apolitical.

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

1. Dictator

   a magistrate invested with absolute authority in ancient republican Rome in times of exigence and danger; the constitution obliged him to resign his authority at the end of six months, till which time he was free without challenge afterwards to do whatever the interest of the commonwealth seemed to him to require; the most famous dictators were Cincinnatus, Camillus, Sulla, and Cæsar, who was the last to be invested with this power; the office ceased with the fall of the republic, or rather, was merged in the perpetual dictatorship of the emperor.

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. dictator

   In the earliest times, was the name of the highest magistrate of the Latin Confederation, and in some of the Latin towns the title was continued long after these towns were subjected to the dominion of Rome. In the Roman republic the dictator was an extraordinary magistrate, irresponsible and endowed with absolute authority. The dictatorship could not lawfully be held longer than six months. Dictators were only appointed so long as the Romans had to carry on wars in and out of Italy, or when any vigorous measure had to be acted upon. The limits of his power were as follows: he could not touch the treasury; he could not leave Italy; and he could not ride through Rome on horseback without previously obtaining the permission of the people.

Matched Categories

1. • Speaker

How to pronounce dictator?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say dictator in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of dictator in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of dictator in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of dictator in a Sentence

1. Jose Miguel Vivanco:

   (It) is not only extremely frustrating but also is revealing of the lack of solid independence of the judiciary in Guatemala, which is clearly sensitive to political pressure, their record has been quite unimpressive particularly regarding efforts to nullify and stop the criminal prosecution of this dictator.

2. Tony Perkins:

   This guy would make Mussolini proud, this is a wannabe dictator.

3. Tom Vilsack:

   I don't think he understands that he's not a dictator.

4. Bernie Sanders:

   Trump has called the press the 'enemy of the people,' and now - taking a page from his dictator friends around the world - is trying to dismantle the right to a free press in the First Amendment by suing the New York Times for publishing an opinion column about his dangerous relationship with Russia.

5. Pastor Andrew Moroz:

   This is the way a dictator operates, this is one of his public demands.

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