Thesaurus results for POTENTATES

potentates

noun

plural of potentate

as in rulers

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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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 potentates With 775 rooms, the palace also provides office space for the royal bureaucracy and hosts lavish state dinners for visiting presidents and potentates. — CBS News, 26 June 2026 Biden put this sentiment into action by working with Netanyahu despite serious moral and political failures in Gaza, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on NATO expansion, and with Gulf potentates on the region’s security architecture. — James Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2025

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Noun

Other Eurasian emperors of the time also did not persecute occult practitioners as Ivan did in the lead-up to the second oprichnina, actions more in line with attitudes in early modern Christian Europe than those common among rulers of Asia.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
His death also encouraged Queen Victoria to leave the stone not to her son, the new Edward VII, but his wife Queen Alexandra, since the curse was thought to only affect male rulers.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of rulers

Noun

James topping the list by a significant margin when the likes of Mickey Mantle and Michael Jordan have long been seen as the kings of the sports card world may raise some eyebrows, but his priciest card to date does include Jordan on it.

— Larry Holder, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Anthony Hopkins has played villains and popes, presidents and dictators, titans of literature and comic book kings.

— Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of kings

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“Potentates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentates. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of potentates

noun

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