dictator

English

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• dictatour (obsolete)

Etymology

From Latin dictātor (“a chief magistrate”), from dictō (“dictate, prescribe”), from dīcō (“say, speak”).

Surface analysis is dictate +‎ -or (“(agent)”) “one who dictates”.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /dɪkˈteɪtə(ɹ)/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

dictator (plural dictators)

1. Originally, a magistrate without colleague in republican ancient Rome, who held full executive authority for a term granted by the senate (legislature), typically to conduct a war
2. A totalitarian leader of a country, nation, or government
3. A tyrannical boss, or authority figure
4. A person who dictates text (e.g. letters to a clerk)
5. A ruler or Führer, the highest level of authority.

Related terms

• dictate
• dictatorial
• dictatorship

Translations

totalitarian leader of a dictatorship

• Arabic: دكتاتور (ar) (diktatur, dīktātūr) m
• Belarusian: дыктатар (be) (dyktátar) m 
• Breton: diktatour m -ien pl
• Bulgarian: диктатор (bg) (diktátor) m 
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 獨裁者 (cmn), 独裁者 (cmn) (dúcáizhě)

• Czech: diktátor (cs) m
• Dutch: dictator (nl) m
• Esperanto: diktatoro (eo)
• Estonian: diktaator (et)
• Finnish: diktaattori (fi)
• French: dictateur (fr) m
• German: Diktator (de) m
• Greek: δικτάτορας (el) (diktátoras) m 
• Hebrew: דיקטאטור (he) (diqt'at'or) m
• Hungarian: diktátor (hu)
• Icelandic: einræðiherra (is) m
• Italian: dittatore (it) m

• Japanese: 独裁者 (ja) (どくさいしゃ, dokusaisha)
• Jèrriais: dictateur m
• Korean: 독재자 (ko) (dokjaeja) (獨裁者 (ko))
• Latin: dictator (la) m
• Macedonian: диктатор (mk) (diktátor) m
• Persian: دیکتاتور (fa) (diktâtor)
• Polish: dyktator (pl) m
• Romanian: dictator (ro) m, dictatori (ro) m pl
• Russian: диктатор (ru) (diktátor) m 
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: диктатор (sh) m

  Roman: diktator (sh) m

• Spanish: dictador (es) m, dictadora (es) f
• Swahili: dikteta (sw)
• Swedish: diktator (sv) c
• Tagalog: diktador (tl)
• Ukrainian: диктатор (uk) (dyktátor) m 
• Vietnamese: kẻ độc tài (vi)

tyrannical boss, or authority figure

• Finnish: diktaattori (fi)
• Greek: δικτάτορας (el) (diktátoras) m 

• Russian: диктатор (ru) (diktátor) m 
• Swahili: dikteta (sw)

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Dutch

Noun

dictator m (plural dictatoren or dictators, diminutive dictatortje) m

1. dictator (bossy senses)

Synonyms

• despot
• dwingeland
• tyrant

Related terms

• dictaat
• dictatoriaal
• dictatuur

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Latin

Etymology

From dictō (“dictate, prescribe”), from dīcō (“say, speak”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA: /dikˈtaː.tor/

Noun

dictātor (genitive dictātōris); m, third declension

1. an elected chief magistrate
2. one who dictates.

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	dictātor	dictātōrēs
genitive	dictātōris	dictātōrum
dative	dictātōrī	dictātōribus
accusative	dictātōrem	dictātōrēs
ablative	dictātōre	dictātōribus
vocative	dictātor	dictātōrēs

Derived terms

• dictātōrius
• dictātrīx
• dictātūra

Related terms

dīcō dictāmen dictāta dictātiō dictātiuncula dictiō

dictiōsus dictitō dictō dictum dictus

Descendants

• English: dictator
• Italian: dittatore
• Polish: dyktator
• Russian: диктатор