potentate
noun
po·ten·tate
ˈpō-tᵊn-ˌtāt 
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Potentate has been wielding its power in English since the 15th century. It comes from the Late Latin potentatus, which in turn was formed from the Latin potent-, meaning "powerful." Other descendants of potent- in English include potent itself, impotent, and omnipotent, as well as the archaic armipotent and very rare bellipotent (meaning, respectively, "mighty in battle" and "mighty in war"). Even power and powerful can be traced back to potent-.
Examples of potentate in a Sentence
Charles inherited the position of potentate of the Holy Roman Empire from his grandfather, as well that of king of Spain from his father.
Recent Examples on the Web
Why don’t all the rich potentates, sheiks, oligarchs and MAGA dictators meet and fix it?
—
Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
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
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Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for potentate
Cite this Entry
“Potentate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potentate. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
potentate
noun
po·ten·tate
ˈpōt-ᵊn-ˌtāt
: a person who has controlling power : sovereign
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