potentates

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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Example Sentences

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
  • By automating tasks that once required human discretion, rulers can replace unreliable intermediaries with faithful algorithms that cannot be bribed or manipulated.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Correspondence to the point of conflation appeared in the sixteenth century, when rulers were nostalgic for the assurances of feudalism.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Court dances fell out of fashion as monarchs fell from power.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • War, chaos and other kings set the stage for this new Norse saga.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • LeBron James reintroduces himself as a Philadelphia 76er, and the New York Knicks reaffirm themselves as kings of the court.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Potentates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentates. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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