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Definition of dictator
1a : a person granted absolute emergency power; especially, history : one appointed by the senate (see senate 1a) of ancient Romeb : one holding complete autocratic control : a person with unlimited governmental powerc : one ruling in an absolute (see absolute 2) and often oppressive way fascist dictators
2 : one who says or reads something for a person to transcribe or for a machine to record : one that dictates (see 1dictate 1)
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Examples of dictator in a Sentence
The country was ruled by a military dictator.
the dictator had a fierce stranglehold on the country, keeping its people in poverty and ignorance
Recent Examples of dictator from the Web
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Fighting ISIS in Syria, Ukraine and Russia’s ongoing support for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
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This May, the war in Benghazi passed its 36th month—longer than the uprising that unseated dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
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Ukraine won the right to host the contest thanks to the victory of its entrant, singer Jamala, in the 2016 contest with a song about the 1944 deportation of Tatars from Crimea ordered by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
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The 54-year-old socialist leader has faced three months of protests from opposition leaders who decry him as a dictator who has wrecked a once-prosperous economy.
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Depp's remarks come weeks after The Public Theater in New York was criticized for its production of Julius Caesar that portrayed a Trump-like dictator in a business suit with a long tie who gets knifed to death onstage.
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Ferguson noted that Raul Castro, the current Cuban president and brother of longtime dictator Fidel Castro, is supposed to step down in February 2018.
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The objective is to force change in the country run by Raul Castro, brother of the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
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Its Al Jazeera satellite television channel has broadcast messages from al-Qaeda and supported dissidents against Arab dictators.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dictator'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of dictator
Latin, from dictare —see 1dictate
Other Government and Politics Terms
DICTATOR Defined for English Language Learners
dictator
playDefinition of dictator for English Language Learners
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: a person who rules a country with total authority and often in a cruel or brutal way
DICTATOR Defined for Kids
dictator
playDefinition of dictator for Students
: a person who rules with total power and often in a cruel manner
dictatorship
\dik-ˈtā-tər-ˌship\ nounLearn More about dictator
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See words that rhyme with dictator Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dictator Spanish Central: Translation of dictator Nglish: Translation of dictator for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dictator for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dictator
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