Added 3 October 2026
dictator
/dɪkˈteɪtə/ noun
In Latin: dictātor Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dictator at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- An authoritarian leader of a country, nation, or government.
- A magistrate without colleague in republican Ancient Rome, who held full executive authority for a term granted by the Senate, typically to conduct a war.
- A tyrannical boss or authority figure.
Origin
From Latin dictātor (“a chief magistrate”), from dictō (“dictate, prescribe”), from dīcō (“say, speak”). By surface analysis, dictate + -or, literally “one who dictates”. Compare Old English tictator (“absolute ruler of the Roman Republic”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)