dictator

dictator — noun

1. a person who rules a country with total power, often using force or threats, and

1.nounB2
Definition

a person who rules a country with total power, often using force or threats, and without the consent of the people

Example

Hassan's family fled the country when the dictator ordered the arrest of all journalists.

collocation: ordered the arrest of [group]

After the old dictator died, the people celebrated in the streets and demanded free elections.

Common collocations
  • military dictator
  • brutal dictator
  • overthrow a dictator
  • dictator seized power
  • dictator ruled with an iron hand
Synonyms
  • tyrant

    Focuses more on cruelty and oppression than on the method of taking power

  • autocrat

    Broader term; can describe anyone who rules alone, not necessarily through violence

  • strongman

    Informal modern label for a ruler who relies on military force and personal charisma

  • despot

    Similar to tyrant but has a historical flavour, often used for pre-modern rulers

Antonyms
  • democrat

    A leader who believes in government by the people, usually through elections

Usage Note

Carries a strongly negative meaning — describes a ruler who oppresses people and ignores the law. Do not use for elected leaders even if you strongly disagree with their decisions.

Common Mistakes

The dictator was elected by a majority of voters.
The dictator seized power through a military coup.
A dictator, by definition, is not elected. Using 'elected' and 'dictator' together creates a contradiction.

2. a person who keeps telling others what they must do and expects everyone to obey

2.nounB2
Definition

a person who keeps telling others what they must do and expects everyone to obey without arguing

Example

Our team leader acts like a dictator, changing plans without telling anyone until the last minute.

acts like a dictator: simile for bossy behaviour

Ava told her brother to stop being a dictator and let her choose the movie.

Common collocations
  • petty dictator
  • acts like a dictator
  • run something like a dictator
Synonyms
  • tyrant

    Also used informally for a bossy person, but even more negative and dramatic

  • control freak

    Informal; focuses on the need to control every detail rather than on giving orders

Usage Note

Used to criticise someone's bossy, controlling behaviour in everyday situations. Stronger and more negative than 'bossy' — reserve for people who refuse to listen to anyone else.

Common Mistakes

My dad is a dictator about cleaning my room.
My dad is very strict about keeping my room clean.
'dictator' is too harsh and serious for normal parental rules; use 'strict' for everyday situations.

Word family

  • dictatorship
    nounB2
  • dictatorial
    adjectiveC1
  • dictate
    verbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These five words all describe rulers with unchecked power, but they differ in emphasis. 'Dictator' focuses on the seizure of power and the absence of elections — it is the most neutral of the five for describing a political system. 'Tyrant' adds a strongly moral judgment: a ruler who is cruel and oppressive, especially toward their own people. 'Autocrat' is broader and describes any ruler who holds absolute power alone, whether in a country or a small organisation, and can be used without implying cruelty. 'Despot' is similar to 'tyrant' but carries a historical flavour, often associated with pre-modern regimes. 'Strongman' is a modern, informal label for a leader who rules through military force and personal charisma. For example: 'Franco was a military dictator who ruled Spain for decades.' 'The villagers called him a tyrant because he ordered executions without trial.' 'The company's founder was an autocrat who made every decision himself.'

dictator ↗tyrantautocratdespotstrongman

Common collocations

Phrases

  • overthrow a dictator
  • live under a dictator
  • topple a dictator

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'dictator' comes from Latin 'dictātor', which originally meant a magistrate appointed by the Roman Senate in times of emergency and given absolute power for a limited period. It is based on 'dictāre' ('to say repeatedly, to order'), from 'dīcere' ('to say'). The meaning shifted over time from a temporary emergency ruler to any ruler with absolute, unchecked power. English borrowed it through Middle French in the late 1300s, and the modern political sense — a leader who seizes power by force — became common in the 20th century.