as in rulers
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 autocrats
Trump has also always had a thing for autocrats.
—
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
The book examines the worst acts of autocrats and tyrannical leaders dating back centuries.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 22 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
This is the dimension in which the United States has the most potential wherewithal to unsettle the autocrats.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
His latest book, Slow Poison, focuses on the making of the Ugandan state post British colonialism and the two autocrats that largely shaped it.
—Leila Fadel, NPR, 16 Dec. 2025
By prohibiting questions and challenges, autocrats gain the power to limit how people think and control their bodies.
—Elizabeth Anne Wood, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
If not, aggressive autocrats around the world could learn that violating the sovereignty of weaker neighbors pays off.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
The book examines the worst acts of autocrats and tyrannical leaders dating back centuries.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 22 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
This is the dimension in which the United States has the most potential wherewithal to unsettle the autocrats.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
His latest book, Slow Poison, focuses on the making of the Ugandan state post British colonialism and the two autocrats that largely shaped it.
—Leila Fadel, NPR, 16 Dec. 2025
By prohibiting questions and challenges, autocrats gain the power to limit how people think and control their bodies.
—Elizabeth Anne Wood, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
If not, aggressive autocrats around the world could learn that violating the sovereignty of weaker neighbors pays off.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autocrats
Noun
-
Demonstrations sparked in late December by anger over economic hardship exploded into mass protests against Iran's Islamic rulers.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
While being given a tour of Lagado, the capital of Balnibari, Gulliver is taken to the Academy of the Projectors, where the rulers hope to profit from the technological wonders of pure science.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This year’s wintertime monarchs were announced Friday night at a coronation at the RiverCentre.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
24 Jan. 2026
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The grandeur of the public rooms echoes in suites fit for monarchs—or movie stars.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Autocrats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autocrats. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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