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.
The report concluded chief executive Tony Chambers was "dictatorial" in his approach to consultants and that presentations by executives to the hospital board were an "exercise in spin".
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Günter is attracted to Freud’s science of the mind because he believes that it alleviates unhappiness, but he is learning that the analyst can be distant and dictatorial, like some all-knowing but uncaring deity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
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
Newsom said the arrest was "outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful."
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2025
“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
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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.
