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.
Some in the business describe Janick, who’s married with three children, as a dictatorial boss unwilling to cede control to the execs leading the company’s various divisions.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026
The AAU’s dictatorial control forced athletes into penury and enriched its leaders.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2025
A Guardian profile from last November notes that the Collinses now appear to be planning a dictatorial city-state for an anonymous wealthy donor, without at all mentioning that their Project Eureka has gone nowhere.
From Slate • Feb. 6, 2025
Students had launched protests calling for the resignation of the dictatorial president Syngman Rhee.
From BBC • Dec. 6, 2024
“They’ve got to swallow it,” Milo ordained with dictatorial grandeur, and almost broke his neck when he let go with one arm to wave a righteous finger in the air.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
