dictatorial
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to a dictator or dictatorship.
-
appropriate to, or characteristic of, a dictator; absolute; unlimited.
dictatorial powers in wartime.
- Synonyms:
- totalitarian
-
inclined to dictate or command; imperious; overbearing.
a dictatorial attitude.
- Synonyms:
- autocratic, tyrannical, despotic
adjective
-
of or characteristic of a dictator
-
tending to dictate; tyrannical; overbearing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dictatorial
First recorded in 1695–1705; from Latin dictātōri(us) (from dictā(re) “to say repeatedly, order, prescribe” + -tōrius -tory 1 ) + -al 1
Vocabulary lists containing dictatorial
Gene Wilder (1933-2016) Tribute List
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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.
Dictatorial about the visual scene, he seemed indifferent to other aspects of dramatic storytelling, as the rehearsal clock ticked ominously.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2024
Dictatorial instructors and ostracized recruits have faced off in “Full Metal Jacket” and many other movies.
From Washington Post • Nov. 22, 2022
Dictatorial and impetuous, MBS is also young — only 37 years old — and likely to dominate the kingdom for many years.
From Washington Post • Oct. 8, 2022
"A dictatorship," said Dictatorial General von Schleicher in Berlin last week, "would be a nuisance."
From Time Magazine Archive
By the Dictatorial, or Revolutionary, sort of government, I mean that very important sort in which the sovereign—the absolute sovereign—is selected by insurrection.
From The English Constitution by Bagehot, Walter
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.
