ruler

[ roo-ler ]

noun

1. a person who rules or governs; sovereign.
2. Also a strip of wood, metal, or other material having a straight edge and usually marked off in inches or centimeters, used for drawing lines, measuring, etc.
3. a person or thing that rules paper, wood, etc.
4. Astrology. the planet primarily associated with any sign of the zodiac or any house of the horoscope:

   The ruler of Aries is Mars. The ruler of Taurus is Venus.

ruler

/ ˈruːlə /

noun

1. a person who rules or commands
2. Also calledrule a strip of wood, metal, or other material, having straight edges graduated usually in millimetres or inches, used for measuring and drawing straight lines

Other Words From

• sub·ruler noun
• under·ruler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ruler¹

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; rule, -er ¹

Example Sentences

By sorting truth from deceit, holding the adage that humanity’s greatest weapon is the lie, the Sisterhood wields influence throughout the galactic Imperium by inserting their representatives at the side of every ruler.

From Salon

The result is a promotional twofer that’s appeared on a range of products including coffee mugs, key chains, rulers and notebooks.

From Los Angeles Times

The Yamaha concert grand also withstood bombing in a previous war between Israel and Gaza’s rulers - Hamas - in 2014, and was carefully restored the following year by a French music technician.

From BBC

In 1999, the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist movement that emerged triumphant from the Afghan civil war, wanted to legitimize themselves on the world stage as the rightful rulers of this mountainous land.

From Salon

In this view, he and his are the only legitimate rulers, and therefore there is no limit on what they can do to seize the power that is rightfully theirs.

From Salon

Related Words

• czar
• emperor
• king
• monarch
• shah
• sultan