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define dictator
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A dictator is a ruler who holds concentrated, often unchecked, political power over a state or organization. In common modern usage it implies rule without meaningful democratic accountability, typically maintained by force, repression, censorship, and suppression of opposition.
Key points
- Political meaning: a single leader who controls the executive and often legislative and judicial powers, bypassing or dismantling democratic institutions.
- Characteristics: centralization of authority, limited or no competitive elections, repression of dissent, controlled media and security forces, personalization of rule.
- Historical note: in the Roman Republic a "dictator" was an extraordinary magistrate appointed for a short, defined emergency term with delegated powers (not the pejorative modern sense).
- Broader/colloquial use: anyone who behaves in an authoritarian, overbearing, or bossy way in nonpolitical contexts.
Synonyms: autocrat, despot, tyrant, strongman.
Etymology: from Latin dictator, originally meaning “one who dictates,” derived from dicere (“to say”).
Key points
- Political meaning: a single leader who controls the executive and often legislative and judicial powers, bypassing or dismantling democratic institutions.
- Characteristics: centralization of authority, limited or no competitive elections, repression of dissent, controlled media and security forces, personalization of rule.
- Historical note: in the Roman Republic a "dictator" was an extraordinary magistrate appointed for a short, defined emergency term with delegated powers (not the pejorative modern sense).
- Broader/colloquial use: anyone who behaves in an authoritarian, overbearing, or bossy way in nonpolitical contexts.
Synonyms: autocrat, despot, tyrant, strongman.
Etymology: from Latin dictator, originally meaning “one who dictates,” derived from dicere (“to say”).
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