autocrat
/ˈɔːtəkɹæt/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.48 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Until the 20th century, a favorable description of a ruler who was connected with the concept of lack of conflicts of interest and an indication of grandeur and power.
Example Sentences
- "Your salary is high; you are to have apartments in the house; and to be the autocrat of the library, where, I shrewdly suspect, your reign will be undisturbed."
- "Indeed, we take this trip at a time when the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy. As Russia wages its premeditated, illegal war against Ukraine, killing thousands of innocents — even children — it is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats."
- "We’ve gotten used to headlines predicting the demise of democracy. While the threats we face are real, a glance around the globe shows that it’s autocrats who are in retreat right now."
- "Trump added that the European autocrat is “a noncontroversial figure because he said, ‘This is the way it’s going to be,’ and that’s the end of it, right? He’s the boss and … he’s a great leader, fantastic leader. In Europe and around the world, they respect him.”"
- "If Trump defies the Court, there is little to restrain him from acting as an autocrat, given the supplication of Republicans in Congress."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew Proto-Indo-European *tó- Proto-Hellenic *autós Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewder. Ancient Greek αὖ (aû) Ancient Greek τόν (tón) Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós) Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-) Proto-Indo-European *kret-der. Ancient Greek κράτος (krátos) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ēs Proto-Hellenic *-ēs Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs) Ancient Greek -ής (-ḗs) Ancient Greek αὐτοκρᾰτής (autokrătḗs)der. French autocratebor. English autocrat Borrowed from French autocrate, itself from Ancient Greek αὐτοκρατής (autokratḗs, “sovereign”), from αὐτο- (auto-, “self”) (combining form of αὐτός (autós)) + κράτος (krátos, “strength, power”) + -ης (-ēs). By surface analysis, auto- + -crat.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: αὐτοκρατής