# dictator

Pronunciation: US say "DIK-tay-tur" /ˈdɪkˌteɪtəɹ/; UK say "dik-TAY-tuh" /dɪkˈteɪtə/

## Noun

1. A leader who holds total control over a country or government, ruling without limits from law or elections.
   - Simple: A ruler who has total power over a country and is not chosen by the people.
   - _The dictator seized power after the army overthrew the elected government._
   - _Under the dictator, the press lost every freedom it had once enjoyed._
2. A boss or authority figure who rules harshly and demands total obedience.
   - Simple: A boss or person in charge who is very harsh and controls everything.
   - _The department head ran the office like a dictator, approving every tiny decision herself._
   - _Students complained that the principal was a dictator who allowed no discussion._
3. In republican Rome, a single magistrate granted full executive authority by the Senate for a set term, usually to lead a war.
   - Simple: In ancient Rome, a leader given full power for a short time, usually to fight a war.
   - _The Senate named a dictator to take command of the legions during the crisis._
   - _Cincinnatus famously resigned as dictator and returned to his farm once Rome was safe._

## Origin

From Latin dictator ("a chief magistrate"), formed from dicto ("dictate, prescribe"), which comes from dico ("say, speak"). By surface analysis it is dictate + -or, literally "one who dictates".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/dictator (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).