autocrat
noun
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Definition of autocrat
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Synonyms for autocrat
Synonyms
monarch, potentate, ruler, sovereign (also sovran)
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Examples of autocrat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nigeria’s first peaceful transition from one democratically elected government to another, in 2015, was seen as a milestone that strengthened pro-democracy forces across a continent studded with entrenched autocrats. — Joe Parkinson, WSJ, "Nigeria Braces for Climax of Rancorous Presidential Showdown," 15 Feb. 2019 Instability is dangerous for autocrats, especially in a country without a sturdy social safety net. — Jesse M. Fried And Matthew Schoenfeld, WSJ, "Will China Cheat American Investors?," 13 Dec. 2018 Yet a number of global autocrats, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, have backed Maduro. — Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, "Crisis-weary Venezuelans are voting in election decried as a Maduro power grab," 20 May 2018 There are a lot of autocrats in the world who may or may not control natural resources and who have to be dealt with as a reality of the global system, and that’s fine. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Reconsidering the US-Saudi relationship," 19 Oct. 2018 American human-rights sanctions mean less when Russia and China stand ready to lend autocrats a hand. — Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, "The Twilight of Human-Rights Diplomacy," 17 Dec. 2018 The Indian Ocean archipelago nation had its first multiparty election in 2008, with Nasheed defeating 30-year autocrat Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. — Bharatha Mallawarachi, The Seattle Times, "Maldives opposition leader: Gov’t may rig next month’s poll," 27 Aug. 2018 The country has been polarized since a popular uprising in 2011 toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak, ushering in a period of political domination by the Muslim Brotherhood, which won a series of elections — including the presidency. — Menna Zaki, Fox News, "Movie star's lifestyle reversal sparks a debate in Egypt," 21 Aug. 2018 Close to half of the electorate views Mr Erdogan as an increasingly unscrupulous autocrat. — The Economist, "Turkey’s President Erdogan may yet be defeated," 21 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'autocrat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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autocrat
noun
English Language Learners Definition of autocrat
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