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.
How can such a playful fellow have dictatorial aspirations?!
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025
Cyber Partisans describes itsself as "a highly organised hacktivist collective that is fighting for the liberation of Belarus from dictatorial rule".
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2025
Since his temperament is dictatorial by nature, much of his agenda is naturally autocratic.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2025
The AAU’s dictatorial control forced athletes into penury and enriched its leaders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2025
But the eat-sleep routine I had begun in the hospital, and kept up under Mother’s dictatorial command, got the better of me.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
