Synonyms of autocrat

autocrat

noun

ˈȯ-tə-ˌkrat 

as in ruler

one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority

European autocrats once commonly believed that they had received the right to rule directly from God

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ruler
• monarch
• emperor
• sovereign
• king
• potentate
• queen
• dictator
• prince
• tyrant
• overlord
• empress
• Caesar
• sultan
• despot
• emir
• satrap
• czar
• shah
• authoritarian
• suzerain
• mogul
• kaiser
• lord
• khedive
• coruler
• khan
• mikado
• führer
• Big Brother
• monocrat
• paramount

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of autocrat

In other countries that have recently experienced democratic backsliding, such as Turkey and Hungary, installing loyalists in the judiciary and in government agencies has played a key role in helping autocrats consolidate power. — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

The National Resistance Forces is made up largely of Yemenis from the north, led by a commander related to the country’s former autocrat, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who died at the hands of the Houthis in 2017. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Born Again followed Fisk who goes from being a gangster to a NYC autocrat mayor. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026

In theory, China’s autocrats can ram through their agenda with scant regard for public sentiment. — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026