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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for potentates

Noun

The song follows two other rulers from the Better Late Than Never era, released in November 2025.

— Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026
That year, the group, whose official name is Ansar Allah, surged to prominence by capturing Sana’a, the country’s capital, a swaggering first step in their evolution from a scruffy militia to the rulers of large swaths of Yemeni territory.

— Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of rulers

Noun

Motorcades carrying presidents, prime ministers and monarchs to the building had priority on nearby streets and traffic was often at a standstill.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
There, monarchs prefer cooler temperatures, moist air and the protection from the trees.

— Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of monarchs

Noun

Yes, those of us who are both excited and nervous about the promise of AI welcome the prospect of kings and clerics and populist politicians alike standing up to the tech lords — who, frankly, could use some perspectives other than their own.

— Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
The film is adorned with musical and aesthetic touches that allude to an idealized past of knights, princesses, kings and queens.

— Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of kings

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

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Synonyms of potentates

noun

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