dictator
nounattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//dɪkˈteɪtə//
- United States//ˈdɪkˌteɪtəɹ//
- United States/[-ɾəɹ]/
An authoritarian leader of a country, nation, or government.
noun
- 1
An authoritarian leader of a country, nation, or government.
The Dominicans had lived for thirty years under the iron-fisted rule of dictator Leonidas Trujillo. During those years, which ended with Trujillo's assassination in 1961, those who opposed Trujillo had three choices: to go into exile, to go underground, or to remain quiet. Most Dominicans had chosen the third course.
Dictator, noun : someone who doesn't let American CEOs dictate how their country is run
"The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn't know it was there," Biden said. "That's a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn't know what happened. That wasn't supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course," Biden said.
A monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin erected in Moscow's metro is stirring debate, with some Russians welcoming it as a historical tribute, but others saying it's a mistake to commemorate someone who presided over so much suffering.
- 2
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.
- 3
A tyrannical boss or authority figure.
- 4
Variant of dictaterMisspelling of dictater.
Etymology
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”).
Forms
- plural
- dictators
dictator · An authoritarian leader of a country, nation, or government.
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