as in ruler
one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority
Charles inherited the position of potentate of the Holy Roman Empire from his grandfather, as well that of king of Spain from his father
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Recent Examples of potentate
With the pandemic, the year-round population of a once-seasonal resort town swelled with Manhattan refugees, those in the Trump orbit, and tech and finance potentates, many of them serious collectors like Ken Griffin and Steve Ross.
—
Ben Widdicombe, Vulture, 12 May 2025
But in his mid-80s, King George ponders whether to abdicate and devote his remaining days to finding female companionship (the aging potentate remains potent with the help of Viagra and similar pharmaceuticals).
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 May 2025
The cover of the first issue of The New Yorker, dated Feb. 21, 1925, carried no portraits of potentates or tycoons, no headlines, no come-ons.
—Christopher B. Daly, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Or were all those billionaire potentates in the Capitol Rotunda — seated in front of Trump’s Cabinet picks — asserting their social, economic and cultural hegemony?
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potentate
Ben Widdicombe, Vulture, 12 May 2025
But in his mid-80s, King George ponders whether to abdicate and devote his remaining days to finding female companionship (the aging potentate remains potent with the help of Viagra and similar pharmaceuticals).
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 May 2025
The cover of the first issue of The New Yorker, dated Feb. 21, 1925, carried no portraits of potentates or tycoons, no headlines, no come-ons.
—Christopher B. Daly, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Or were all those billionaire potentates in the Capitol Rotunda — seated in front of Trump’s Cabinet picks — asserting their social, economic and cultural hegemony?
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potentate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potentate
Noun
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In the show Prince Adam is the son of Eternia’s rulers, King Randor and Queen Marlena.—
Sanat Pai RaikarAll,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 May 2026
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The diamond, which is over 105 carats, had been passed around by various rulers throughout its early life, and eventually was brought back to India in 1813 and into the hands of ruler Ranjit Singh.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In a feisty exchange with a Framingham city councilor in late March, Spilka opened up on her resistance to the audit, arguing that DiZoglio is trying to act like a monarch.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
2 May 2026
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May 2, 2026 1 of 10 Who was the only other British monarch besides King Charles III to address a joint meeting of Congress?—
Jeremy Mikula,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
Noun
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On May 6, the sovereign marked the third anniversary of his crowning ceremony, and his sister attended the Royal Gun Salute at Hyde Park in London, where a salute of 41 rounds was fired.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
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Legitimate authority Historically, the conversation about a war’s justness began by asking whether a responsible sovereign had declared it.—
Valerie Morkevicius,
The Conversation,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Potentate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentate. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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