adjective
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of or relating to an absolute and unrestricted ruler
-
domineering or dictatorial
Other Word Forms
- autocratically adverb
Etymology
Origin of autocratic
Explanation
Autocratic describes a way of ruling, but not in a nice way. An autocratic leader is one who rules with an iron fist; in other words — someone with the behavior of a dictator. Autocratic rulers don't tend to be popular. They use fear and control to gain total power over their people. Often, their country is left destitute as a result of their actions. The word autocratic is often used to describe the head of a country, but really, anyone who is a despotic leader can qualify — including the boss who threatens to fire you if you refuse to polish his shoes and work every holiday.
Vocabulary lists containing autocratic
To Thine Own Self Be True: Auto
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Do it Yourself: Words Beginning with "AUTO"
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Murder on the Orient Express
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The daughter of autocratic former leader Alberto Fujimori, she enjoys high levels of name recognition among voters.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
Huerta became one of Chavez’s fiercest defenders even after revelations about his autocratic ways became public — but what else was she supposed to do when people tied so much of her identity to him?
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
When foreign airstrikes have helped topple autocratic regimes in the region, they were supplemented with U.S. troops on the ground, as in Iraq or Afghanistan, or coordinated with local armed militias, as in Libya.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026
The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, the 85‑year‑old Nobel Peace Prize winner, says the reform charter is designed to prevent a return to autocratic one-party rule.
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026
She was speaking now to the restaurant attendant in a clear, courteous but completely autocratic tone.
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
