as in ruler
one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority
European autocrats once commonly believed that they had received the right to rule directly from God
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Recent Examples of autocrat
May 14, 2025 4 min read The red flags abound—political research tells us the U.S. is becoming an autocracy
By Dan Vergano
As president, Donald Trump pretty much checks all the warning boxes for an autocrat.
—
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 14 May 2025
But Trump's disruption of the Western alliance, his appeasement of autocrats, and his abandonment of global stability have made the world a far scarier place.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
Dissidents describe a pattern: autocrats and their cronies use even the most minor personal scandal to undermine the credibility of activists and weaken their movements.
—Julia Angwin, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025
Similarly, modern autocrats avoid attacking dissidents in ways likely to turn them into martyrs.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocrat
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 14 May 2025
But Trump's disruption of the Western alliance, his appeasement of autocrats, and his abandonment of global stability have made the world a far scarier place.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
Dissidents describe a pattern: autocrats and their cronies use even the most minor personal scandal to undermine the credibility of activists and weaken their movements.
—Julia Angwin, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025
Similarly, modern autocrats avoid attacking dissidents in ways likely to turn them into martyrs.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocrat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocrat
Noun
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In addition to claiming the second-most No. 1s of all time, Linkin Park has also scored multiple long-running rulers.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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The death in 2022 of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of the morality police for allegedly violating hijab rules sparked Iran's biggest domestic unrest since the 1979 revolution that brought its clerical rulers to power.—
Miranda Murray,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
Noun
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The name is inspired by the Spanish royal family’s practice of gifting pairs of merino sheep to other monarchs to honor its relationships.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
29 May 2025
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Charles has signaled his support for Canada recently, but the monarch faces a tricky balancing act as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is working to keep Trump onside over Ukraine and trade ties.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autocrat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocrat. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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