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
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Recent Examples of autocrat
Visiting North Korea gives Xi another chance to show himself as an agile powerbroker able to engage a diverse cast of leaders, from the chief of the world’s most powerful democracy to an autocrat with a sanctions-defying weapons regime.
—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
In 1978, my father, Ebrahim Yazdi, supported the revolution and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, precisely because Khomeini promised not to become an autocrat.
—
Letters To The Editor,
Washington Post,
2 June 2026
Perhaps the most radical element of republicanism was that the nation’s sovereignty would be held by its citizenry rather than by a monarch or an autocrat.
—
Tyler Green,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
Meanwhile, Turner maintained a friendly rapport with the late Cuban autocrat Fidel Castro.
—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocrat
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
In 1978, my father, Ebrahim Yazdi, supported the revolution and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, precisely because Khomeini promised not to become an autocrat.
—
Letters To The Editor,
Washington Post,
2 June 2026
Perhaps the most radical element of republicanism was that the nation’s sovereignty would be held by its citizenry rather than by a monarch or an autocrat.
—
Tyler Green,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
Meanwhile, Turner maintained a friendly rapport with the late Cuban autocrat Fidel Castro.
—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocrat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocrat
Noun
-
Mnangagwa has been in power since 2017, when the military backed the ouster of his mentor and Zimbabwe's longtime ruler, Robert Mugabe, who died in 2019.
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Democracies are composed of citizens with free will, not subjects cowering at the feet of rulers.
Noun
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The British monarch meets with the prime minister every week.
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The Dutch monarchs, who were joined by their daughter Princess Ariane, began the day by watching Holland rout Sweden 5-1 in a Group F match.
Cite this Entry
“Autocrat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocrat. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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