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Which Roman leader was appointed dictator for life?

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dictator

American  

[dik-tey-ter, dik-tey-ter] / ˈdɪk teɪ tər, dɪkˈteɪ tər /

noun

• dictators
  plural

1. a person exercising absolute power, especially a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession.

2. (in ancient Rome) a person invested with supreme authority during a crisis, the regular magistracy being subordinated to him until the crisis was met.

3. a person who authoritatively prescribes conduct, usage, etc..

   a dictator of fashion.

4. a person who dictates, as to a secretary.

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dictator British  

/ dɪkˈteɪtə, dɪkˈteɪtrɪs, ˈdɪktətrɪks /

noun

1. 1. a ruler who is not effectively restricted by a constitution, laws, recognized opposition, etc

   2. an absolute, esp tyrannical, ruler

2. (in ancient Rome) a person appointed during a crisis to exercise supreme authority

3. a person who makes pronouncements, as on conduct, fashion, etc, which are regarded as authoritative

4. a person who behaves in an authoritarian or tyrannical manner

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dictatress
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dictators
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dictator

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin dictātor, from dictā(re) “to say repeatedly, prescribe, order” ( see dictate) + -tor -tor

Explanation

A dictator is someone who has absolute power — or who at least behaves as if they do by bossing others around. In government, a dictator is a ruler who has total control over a country, with no checks or balances to prevent abuse of power. Dictator can also describe someone who acts like that on a smaller scale. When your sister is getting married and your mom makes her order roses instead lilies for the table arrangements and yells at you for addressing the invitations too slowly and insists that all of her coworkers be invited, she’s acting like a dictator.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dictator dictators

Along with the Clark Air Base inland, Subic Bay sustained anticommunist wars in Korea and Vietnam and, thanks to the support of longtime dictator Ferdinand Marcos, projected U.S. power through decades of containment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

But often, the data that started as interesting information becomes a kind of dictator.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

The border was closed by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1969 after Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to remain British.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

The writer and human rights activist served 17 years in a forced labour camp during the rule of the notorious communist dictator, Enver Hoxha.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

When it came to the garden, I was a dictator.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

"The issue is not whether the dictators have heard us. The issue is whether they believe our words will ever be followed by our actions," added the US official.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Dictators may be faithless and brutal to their own people, but in the rarefied circle of fellow dictators, a kind of camaraderie flourishes.

From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2026

We don’t like despots and dictators and monarchs or anything smacking of royalty.

From Slate ● Feb. 16, 2026

Left shellshocked by World War I, many believed that the best way to deal with the growing threat in Europe was to disarm the democracies and appease the dictators.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

Each of the presidents, dictators, and generals had brought his own protectors, and of course the Alacrans had hired a small army for the party.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• authoritarian
• autocrat
• commander
• despot
• totalitarian
• tyrant