as in ruler
one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority
Charles inherited the position of potentate of the Holy Roman Empire from his grandfather, as well that of king of Spain from his father
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Recent Examples of potentate
But in his mid-80s, King George ponders whether to abdicate and devote his remaining days to finding female companionship (the aging potentate remains potent with the help of Viagra and similar pharmaceuticals).
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 May 2025
The cover of the first issue of The New Yorker, dated Feb. 21, 1925, carried no portraits of potentates or tycoons, no headlines, no come-ons.
—Christopher B. Daly, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Or were all those billionaire potentates in the Capitol Rotunda — seated in front of Trump’s Cabinet picks — asserting their social, economic and cultural hegemony?
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
This was a violin in full command of its considerable powers, a violin capable of enchanting the most powerful potentate in the land and persuading him to do its bidding.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for potentate
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 May 2025
The cover of the first issue of The New Yorker, dated Feb. 21, 1925, carried no portraits of potentates or tycoons, no headlines, no come-ons.
—Christopher B. Daly, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Or were all those billionaire potentates in the Capitol Rotunda — seated in front of Trump’s Cabinet picks — asserting their social, economic and cultural hegemony?
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
This was a violin in full command of its considerable powers, a violin capable of enchanting the most powerful potentate in the land and persuading him to do its bidding.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for potentate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potentate
Noun
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Confirmed back in 2024, HBO was developing a treatment for an Aegon's Conquest TV spinoff, about how the first Targaryen ruler who forged the Iron Throne flew on dragonback from the land of Old Valyria, waged a campaign to unite the Seven Kingdoms, and became the first king of Westeros.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
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For the Muslim world’s Shiite minority, 86-year-old Khamenei was more than just Iran’s theocratic ruler since 1989.—
Elena Becatoros,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As Dudayev spoke on a handheld satellite phone with the Moroccan monarch, Russian aircraft waited beyond visual range.—
Robert A. Pape In The Los Angeles Times,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
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As the regional crisis escalated last month, members of Congress tweeted fond personal reflections on various Gulf monarchs.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The situation weighs on regional risk on the margins, but most of those sovereigns carry strong balance sheets, Appio explained.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2026
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Counsellors of State are certain royals who can be called on by the monarch to act on his behalf if the sovereign is temporarily unable to carry out official duties.—
Lauren Said-Moorhouse,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Potentate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentate. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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