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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Recent Examples of potentates
In early-modern Europe, the Medicis and other potentates created what were the microfinance schemes of their time, lending small sums of money to poor citizens.
—
Mark Malloch-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 15 Jan. 2024
Mark Malloch-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 15 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potentates
Noun
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Punk music and its spirit clearly worried the Soviet rulers.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Nov. 2025
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But hijab is no side issue for Tehran’s rulers.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Sandringham has been the private home of five generations of British monarchs for over 150 years.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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As part of Columbus’s mission, the monarchs urged him to convert indigenous peoples to Christianity, search for more gold, and develop trading relations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are kings of the baseball world yet again.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
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High above Rio de Janeiro's coastline, he was given the keys to the city by Mayor Eduardo Paes — an honor usually reserved for the kings and queens of the famous carnival.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Potentates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentates. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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