dictator
noun
dic·ta·tor
ˈdik-ˌtā-tər 
dik-ˈtā-
1
a
: a person granted absolute emergency power
b
: one holding complete autocratic control : a person with unlimited governmental power
c
: one ruling in an absolute (see absolute sense 2) and often oppressive way
fascist dictators
2
: one who says or reads something for a person to transcribe or for a machine to record : one that dictates (see dictate entry 1 sense 1)
Examples of dictator in a Sentence
The country was ruled by a military dictator.
the dictator had a fierce stranglehold on the country, keeping its people in poverty and ignorance
Recent Examples on the Web
Talks between Israel and Syria are ongoing, which would have been unthinkable during the reign of former dictator Bashar al-Assad, whose partnership with Iran and insistence that Israel hand over the Golan Heights to Damascus in exchange for normalization nipped any détente in the bud.
—
Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
The uniform marks him as a firefighter from the old regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December 2024 after a nearly 14-year civil war.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 10 July 2025
Jarvis is gearing up to star in the feature biopic Young Stalin about the Russian dictator.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 7 July 2025
On July 4, Americans celebrate the launching in 1776 of a new type of government — a democratic republic where the people make the final decisions, not a dictator, king or tyrant.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictator
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Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
The uniform marks him as a firefighter from the old regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December 2024 after a nearly 14-year civil war.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 10 July 2025
Jarvis is gearing up to star in the feature biopic Young Stalin about the Russian dictator.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 7 July 2025
On July 4, Americans celebrate the launching in 1776 of a new type of government — a democratic republic where the people make the final decisions, not a dictator, king or tyrant.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Cite this Entry
“Dictator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictator. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dictator
noun
dic·ta·tor
ˈdik-ˌtāt-ər
dik-ˈtāt-ər
1
: a person who rules with total authority and often in a cruel or brutal manner
2
: one that dictates
dictatorial
adjective
ˌdik-tə-ˈtōr-ē-əl
-tȯr-
dictatorially
adverb
-ē-ə-lē
dictatorialness
noun
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