autocrat

[aw-tuh-krat]

noun

1. an absolute ruler, especially a monarch who holds and exercises the powers of government as by inherent right, not subject to restrictions.

2. a person invested with or claiming to exercise absolute authority.

3. a person who behaves in an authoritarian manner; a domineering person.

autocrat

/ ˈɔːtəˌkræt /

noun

1. a ruler who possesses absolute and unrestricted authority

2. a domineering or dictatorial person

Word History and Origins

Origin of autocrat¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; from Greek autokratḗs “self-ruling, ruling alone,” from auto- auto- ¹ + krát(os) “power” + -ēs, adjective suffix

Example Sentences

In total, this tactic of burrowing into a democracy and then destroying it from within is a classic strategy among authoritarians and autocrats.

From Salon

“When you have an autocrat in power, he can get away with appointing incompetent people over very important things,” he said.

From Salon

Robert Kagan, a former Republican aide now at the Brookings Institution, added one more guiding principle: “He favors autocrats over democrats.”

From Los Angeles Times

As is now widely recognized, modern 21st-century autocrats generally do not take over in sudden, brutal displays of force.

From Salon

In his nearly 40 years of his rule, Ayatollah Khamenei, one of the world's longest reigning autocrats, has decimated any opposition in the country.

From BBC

Related Words

• despot 
• tyrant