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
Responses that, early on, can feel pragmatic—waiting it out, remaining silent, cutting a deal—only embolden autocrats, leading ultimately to the demise of democracy itself.
—
Daniel Ziblatt, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
Trump’s relationship with Putin in the spotlight Trump has had a famously warm relationship with Putin over the years, often praising the Russian autocrat.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Make this a contest between fast new trains and an aging autocrat, and California wins.
—Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2025
That lag time has been criticized across Europe, with officials and experts asking why Trump is giving additional time to an autocrat who has hardly wavered in his desire to subjugate Ukraine.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocrat
Daniel Ziblatt, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
Trump’s relationship with Putin in the spotlight Trump has had a famously warm relationship with Putin over the years, often praising the Russian autocrat.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Make this a contest between fast new trains and an aging autocrat, and California wins.
—Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2025
That lag time has been criticized across Europe, with officials and experts asking why Trump is giving additional time to an autocrat who has hardly wavered in his desire to subjugate Ukraine.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for autocrat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocrat
Noun
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Every ruler, every plan, every prophecy has been tested against the unruly currents of human will and the undertow of chance.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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The song is the act’s second ruler and first sung by Jakob Nowell, son of late frontman Bradley Nowell.—
Kevin Rutherford,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And in 2016, Hadid was the first woman to win the RIBA Gold Medal, which recognizes an individual’s substantial contributions to international architecture on behalf of the British monarch.—
Mae Hamilton,
AFAR Media,
9 Sep. 2025
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The monarchs of the Arab Gulf would like to maintain their unchallenged domestic political status while expanding their influence in the Middle East and beyond.—
David Mednicoff,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autocrat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocrat. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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