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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of autocrat
Trump has also always had a thing for autocrats.
—
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
The central question is whether the rise of autocrats is reversible.
—Max Hastings, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
The strategic logic mirrors survival patterns of past regional autocrats.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Maduro ruled Venezuela's 28 million people as an autocrat, imprisoning his opposition and leaving the economy of an oil rich nation in shambles.
—Scott Pelley, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocrat
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
The central question is whether the rise of autocrats is reversible.
—Max Hastings, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
The strategic logic mirrors survival patterns of past regional autocrats.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Maduro ruled Venezuela's 28 million people as an autocrat, imprisoning his opposition and leaving the economy of an oil rich nation in shambles.
—Scott Pelley, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autocrat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocrat
Noun
-
The Basij have long operated as a national paramilitary force under the command of Iran's Islamic theocratic rulers, playing a major role in violently quashing anti-government protests, including the unprecedented wave of unrest in January.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Larijani was an influential figure in Iran's leadership who was viewed by some as a de facto ruler in the wake of Khamenei's death, and with the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei making no public appearances.—
Yarden Segev,
NBC news,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to another royal butler, Grant Harrold—who served as Charles’s butler, including when Charles married Camilla in 2005—the monarch’s mood was much different after his second wedding on April 9 of that year.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Four years later, Iran's monarch was himself was overthrown in the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.—
Younes Mohammad,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Autocrat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocrat. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
