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
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
This was a violin in full command of its considerable powers, a violin capable of enchanting the most powerful potentate in the land and persuading him to do its bidding.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for potentate
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
This was a violin in full command of its considerable powers, a violin capable of enchanting the most powerful potentate in the land and persuading him to do its bidding.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for potentate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potentate
Noun
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In a region where rulers can quickly pivot from enemy to friend, there is little upside to speaking openly.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Anthony has 11 more rulers than the next closest act on the all-time list, Victor Manuelle, who boasts 28.—
Kevin Rutherford,
Billboard,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Author Hugo Vickers writes in his new book Queen Elizabeth II, out in April, that the monarch did not believe the allegations against her son, which may go some way to explaining why stronger action was not taken against the former prince until after her death.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
At earlier periods of history, the role used to involve giving political advice to the monarch.—
Robbie Griffiths,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The sovereign's sisters, Princesses Caroline and Stephanie, stood side by side.—
Séraphine Roger,
Vanity Fair,
28 Mar. 2026
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The hope was that the visit, the first by a British sovereign in nearly two decades, would help smooth fractured relations between the two nations.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Potentate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentate. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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