Standard Lemma guide

potentate

adj · noun · 6 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: /ˈpəʊ.tən.teɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈpoʊ.tən.teɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: P OW1 T AH0 N T EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Regnant, powerful, dominant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A powerful leader; a monarch; a ruler.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A powerful polity or institution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A self-important person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Someone acting in an important role.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a ruler who is unconstrained by law

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dictator

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ruler, swayer

Narrower terms: shogun, strongman, tyrant, autocrat, despot, Duvalier, Francois Duvalier, Papa Doc, Jean-Claude Duvalier, Baby Doc, Franco, Francisco Franco, El Caudillo, General Franco, Hitler, Adolf Hitler, Der Fuhrer, Mussolini, Benito Mussolini, Il Duce, Tojo, Tojo Hideki, Tojo Eiki

History

Etymology

From Middle English potentat, from Old French, from Late Latin potentātus (“rule, political power”), from Latin potēns (“powerful, strong”), the active present participle of possum (“to be able”).

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: տիրակալ (tirakal) — a powerful leader
  • Armenian: գերիշխան (gerišxan) — a powerful leader
  • Armenian: միապետ (miapet) — a powerful leader
  • Bulgarian: властелин (vlastelin) — a powerful leader
  • Czech: potentát — a powerful leader
  • Danish: potentat — a powerful leader
  • Finnish: potentaatti — a powerful leader
  • Finnish: mahtimies — a powerful leader
  • French: potentat — a powerful leader
  • French: podestat — a powerful leader
  • German: Potentat — a powerful leader
  • German: Potentatin — a powerful leader
  • Hungarian: potentát — a powerful leader
  • Hungarian: úr — a powerful leader
  • Hungarian: kényúr — a powerful leader
  • Hungarian: despota — a powerful leader
  • Hungarian: hatalmasság — a powerful leader
  • Icelandic: valdamaður — a powerful leader
  • Icelandic: burgeis — a powerful leader
  • Icelandic: höfðingi — a powerful leader
  • Icelandic: þjóðhöfðingi — a powerful leader
  • Ido: potento — a powerful leader
  • Irish: monarc — a powerful leader
  • Irish: rialaitheoir — a powerful leader
  • Italian: podestà — a powerful leader
  • Italian: condottiere — a powerful leader
  • Macedonian: мо́ќник (móḱnik) — a powerful leader
  • Macedonian: вла́стелин (vlástelin) — a powerful leader
  • Manx: flah — a powerful leader
  • Middle English: potestat — a powerful leader
  • Norwegian: potentat — a powerful leader
  • Polish: potentat — a powerful leader
  • Polish: magnat — a powerful leader
  • Portuguese: potentado — a powerful leader
  • Portuguese: soberano — a powerful leader
  • Romanian: potentat — a powerful leader
  • Russian: властели́н (vlastelín) — a powerful leader
  • Scottish Gaelic: cumhachdach — a powerful leader
  • Slovak: potentát — a powerful leader
  • Spanish: potentado — a powerful leader
  • Spanish: podestá — a powerful leader
  • Spanish: líder máximo — a powerful leader
  • Spanish: capo — a powerful leader
  • Swedish: potentat — a powerful leader