autocrat en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew Proto-Indo-European *tó- Proto-Hellenic *autós Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewder. Ancient Greek αὖ (aû) Ancient Greek τόν (tón) Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós) Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-) Proto-Indo-European *kret-der. Ancient Greek κράτος (krátos) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ēs Proto-Hellenic *-ēs Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs) Ancient Greek -ής (-ḗs) Ancient Greek αὐτοκρᾰτής (autokrătḗs)der. French autocratebor. English autocrat 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.
Meanings
-
An absolute ruler with infinite power.
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.
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 Aug 2022, Opinion:Trump added that the European autocrat is “a noncontroversial figure because he said, ‘This is the way it’s going to be,’ and that’s the end of it, right? He’s the boss and … he’s a great leader, fantastic leader. In Europe and around the world, they respect him.”
2024 March 8, Kristen Holmes and Andrew Millman, “Trump praises ‘fantastic’ Viktor Orbán while hosting Hungarian autocrat at Mar-a-Lago for meeting and concert”, in CNN: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.
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Secretaryship”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 131:We’ve gotten used to headlines predicting the demise of democracy. While the threats we face are real, a glance around the globe shows that it’s autocrats who are in retreat right now.
2022 December 1, John Avlon, “Opinion: The tide is turning against autocracy”, in CNN:If Trump defies the Court, there is little to restrain him from acting as an autocrat, given the supplication of Republicans in Congress.
2025 April 10, Adam Serwer, “The Confrontation Between Trump and the Supreme Court Has Arrived”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 11 Apr 2025:
- A title borne by some such monarchs, as in Byzantium and tsarist Russia.
- 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.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| autocrats | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
autocratess · autocratical · autocratic · autocratship
Relateds
Synonyms
strongman · dictator · tyrant · despot · monarch · autocrator
Translations (94)
lv patvaldnieks (ruler with absolute power) · nb autokrat (ruler with absolute power) · sl avtokrat (ruler with absolute power) · sh samodr̀žac (ruler with absolute power) · fa خداوندگار (ruler with absolute power) · nl autocraat (ruler with absolute power) · hu zsarnok (ruler with absolute power) · uk самодержа́вець (ruler with absolute power) · sv autokrat (ruler with absolute power) · ru автокра́т (ruler with absolute power) · sh самодр̀жац (ruler with absolute power) · sv envåldshärskare (ruler with absolute power) · fo einaveldisharri (ruler with absolute power) · kk автократ (ruler with absolute power) · ru самодержа́вец (ruler with absolute power) · fa خودکامه (ruler with absolute power) · pl samowładczyni (ruler with absolute power) · vi người chuyên quyền (ruler with absolute power) · sh autòkrāt (ruler with absolute power) · ja 独裁者 (ruler with absolute power) · fi itsevaltias (ruler with absolute power) · cmn 獨裁者 /独裁者 (ruler with absolute power) · ca autòcrata (ruler with absolute power) · el δεσπότης (ruler with absolute power) · tr otokrat (ruler with absolute power) · id autokrat (ruler with absolute power) · et autokraat (ruler with absolute power) · mk автокра́тка (ruler with absolute power) · tg мустабид (ruler with absolute power) · ar مُسْتَبِدّ (ruler with absolute power) · ar جَبَّار (ruler with absolute power) · ga uathlathaí (ruler with absolute power) · fo einaræðisharri (ruler with absolute power) · sk autokrat (ruler with absolute power) · lv autokrāts (ruler with absolute power) · nl alleenheerser (ruler with absolute power) · sh самовла̀да̄р (ruler with absolute power) · mk автокра́т (ruler with absolute power) · bg автокра́т (ruler with absolute power) · ms autokrat (ruler with absolute power) · uz avtokrat (ruler with absolute power) · sh samovlàdār (ruler with absolute power) · be самаўла́дца (ruler with absolute power) · bg самодържец (ruler with absolute power) · lt autokratas (ruler with absolute power) · bg самодържа́вец (ruler with absolute power) · es autócrata (ruler with absolute power) · ru самоде́ржец (ruler with absolute power) · io autokrato (ruler with absolute power) · it autocrate (ruler with absolute power) · az avtokrat (ruler with absolute power) · fa خدایگان (ruler with absolute power) · fr autocrate (ruler with absolute power) · de Autokrat (ruler with absolute power) · ko 독재자 (ruler with absolute power) · da autokrat (ruler with absolute power) · be аўтакра́т (ruler with absolute power) · hy ինքնակալ (ruler with absolute power) · ka ავტოკრატი (ruler with absolute power) · sk samovládca (ruler with absolute power) · my သက်ဦးဆံပိုင် (ruler with absolute power) · uk автокра́т (ruler with absolute power) · cs autokrat (ruler with absolute power) · be самадзе́ржац (ruler with absolute power) · th เผด็จการ (ruler with absolute power) · tg автократ (ruler with absolute power) · ky автократ (ruler with absolute power) · fa مستبد (ruler with absolute power) · km អត្តាធិបតី (ruler with absolute power) · pt autocrata (ruler with absolute power) · tk awtokrat (ruler with absolute power) · uk самоде́ржець (ruler with absolute power) · mn ᠳᠠᠷᠤᠩᠭᠤᠢᠯᠠᠭᠴᠢ (ruler with absolute power) · fa خداوند (ruler with absolute power) · eo aŭtokrato (ruler with absolute power) · he אוטוֹקְרָט (ruler with absolute power) · hi तानाशाह (ruler with absolute power) · ro autocrat (ruler with absolute power) · sv självhärskare (ruler with absolute power) · de Autokratin (ruler with absolute power) · uk автокра́тка (ruler with absolute power) · pl autokrata (ruler with absolute power) · sq autokrat (ruler with absolute power) · be аўтакра́тка (ruler with absolute power) · lt autokratė (ruler with absolute power) · lo ຜະເດັດການ (ruler with absolute power) · sl avtokratinja (ruler with absolute power) · cs samovládce (ruler with absolute power) · mn дарангуйлагч (ruler with absolute power) · bg автокра́тка (ruler with absolute power) · sh ауто̀кра̄т (ruler with absolute power) · mk самовласник (ruler with absolute power) · pl autokratka (ruler with absolute power) · pl samowładca (ruler with absolute power)