autocrat

Borrowed from French autocrate, itself from Ancient Greek αὐτοκρατής (autokratḗs, “sovereign”), from αὐτο- (auto-, “self”) (combinatory form of αὐτός (autós)) + κρατία (kratía, “rule”) (from κράτος (krátos, “strength, power”)).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔːtəkɹæt/

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autocrat (plural autocrats)

1. An absolute ruler with infinite power.

   Synonyms: autocrator, despot, dictator, monarch, tyrant, strongman

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Secretaryship”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 131:

     Your salary is high; you are to have apartments in the house; and to be the autocrat of the library, where, I shrewdly suspect, your reign will be undisturbed.

   • 2022 August 2, Nancy Pelosi, “Nancy Pelosi: Why I’m leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan”, in The Washington Post‎, archived from the original on 02 August 2022, Opinion:

     Indeed, we take this trip at a time when the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy. As Russia wages its premeditated, illegal war against Ukraine, killing thousands of innocents — even children — it is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:autocrat.
2. A title borne by some such monarchs, as in Byzantium and tsarist Russia.
3. Until the 20th century, a favorable description of a ruler who was connected with the concept of lack of conflicts of interest and an indication of grandeur and power.

• autocracy

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “autocrat”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

• actuator

Borrowed from French autocrate, itself from Ancient Greek αὐτοκρατής (autokratḗs, “sovereign”), from αὐτο- (auto-, “self”) (combinatory form of αὐτός (autós)) + κρατία (kratía, “rule”) (from κράτος (krátos, “strength, power”)).

autocrat m (plural autocrați)

1. autocrat

• autocrație