Standard Lemma guide

dictatorial

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: [dɪktəˈtɔːɹɪəɫ]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔːɹiəl
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH2 K T AH0 T AO1 R IY0 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

of or pertaining to a dictator

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

in the manner of a dictator, usually with callous disregard for others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

of or characteristic of a dictator

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • dictatorial powers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an authoritarian regime
  • autocratic government
  • despotic rulers
  • a dictatorial rule that lasted for the duration of the war
  • a tyrannical government

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: authoritarian, autocratic, despotic, tyrannic, tyrannical

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

expecting unquestioning obedience

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the timid child of authoritarian parents
  • insufferably overbearing behavior toward the waiter

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: authoritarian, overbearing

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English dictator Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisder. Old French -ialder. Middle English -ial English -ial English dictatorial From dictator + -ial.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: բռնապետական (bṙnapetakan) — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Belarusian: дыкта́тарскі (dyktátarski) — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Catalan: dictatorial — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Finnish: diktaattori- — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Finnish: diktaattorin — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • French: dictatorial — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Galician: ditatorial — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Georgian: დიქტატორიული (dikṭaṭoriuli) — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • German: diktatorisch — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Greek: δικτατορικός (diktatorikós) — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Hungarian: diktátori — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Manx: ardreillagh — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Manx: ard-smaghtagh — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Marathi: हुकूमशाही (hukūmśāhī) — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Polish: dyktatorski — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Portuguese: ditatorial — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Russian: дикта́торский (diktátorskij) — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Swedish: diktatorisk — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Ukrainian: дикта́торський (dyktátorsʹkyj) — of or pertaining to a dictator
  • Catalan: dictatorial — in the manner of a dictator
  • Finnish: diktaattorin — in the manner of a dictator
  • Finnish: diktaattorimainen — in the manner of a dictator
  • Georgian: დიქტატორიული (dikṭaṭoriuli) — in the manner of a dictator
  • German: diktatorisch — in the manner of a dictator
  • Greek: δικτατορικός (diktatorikós) — in the manner of a dictator
  • Hungarian: diktatórikus — in the manner of a dictator
  • Latin: imperiōsus — in the manner of a dictator
  • Portuguese: ditatorial — in the manner of a dictator
  • Spanish: dictatorial — in the manner of a dictator
  • Spanish: de ordeno y mando — in the manner of a dictator
  • Swedish: diktatorisk — in the manner of a dictator
  • Ukrainian: дикта́торський (dyktátorsʹkyj) — in the manner of a dictator