Definition of DICTATOR

dictator

Plural: dictators

Noun

  • A ruler with total power, or one who dictates words.
  • a speaker who dictates to a secretary or a recording machine
  • a ruler who is unconstrained by law
  • a person who behaves in a tyrannical manner
    • "my boss is a dictator who makes everyone work overtime"
  • A totalitarian 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.
  • Misspelling of dictater.

Examples

  • He played DICTATOR, trying to control the entire flow of the Scrabble game.

Origin / Etymology

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”).

Scrabble Score: 11

dictator: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
dictator: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
dictator: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

dictator: valid Words With Friends Word