autocrat
/ˈɔːtəkɹæt/ noun
Forms autocrats
- noun An absolute ruler with infinite power.
- noun A title borne by some such monarchs, as in Byzantium and tsarist Russia.
- noun 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.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from French autocrate, itself from Ancient Greek αὐτοκρατής (autokratḗs, “sovereign”), from αὐτο- (auto-, “self”) (combining form of αὐτός (autós)) + κράτος (krátos, “strength, power”) + -ης (-ēs). By surface analysis, auto- + -crat.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An absolute sovereign; a monarch who holds and exercises the powers of government by claim of absolute right, not subject to restriction; as, Autocrat of all the Russias (a title of the Czar).
- noun One who rules with undisputed sway in any company or relation; a despot.
Etymology [Gr. autocrate. See Hard, a.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “autocrat”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details