potentate
/'poutənteit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A ruler who has great power and is not limited by law: A potentate is a person who holds and exercises significant political power, often in an absolute or autocratic manner, without being bound by constitutional or legal constraints.
- A monarch or sovereign, especially one with absolute authority: The term often refers to a powerful ruler such as an emperor, king, or sultan who wields supreme authority.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The ancient potentate ruled his vast empire with an iron fist.
- In the story, the wise but cruel potentate demanded tribute from all neighboring lands.
- Historians studied the decrees issued by the medieval potentate.
Advanced Usage
- "Absolute potentate": Emphasizes a ruler with complete, unchecked power.
- The country was governed as the personal fiefdom of an absolute potentate.
- "Foreign potentate": Refers to a powerful ruler from another country.
- The ambassador was sent to negotiate a treaty with the foreign potentate.
Variants and Related Words
- Potent (adj): Having great power, influence, or effect.
- A potent argument.
- Potency (n): The power, strength, or effectiveness of something.
- The potency of the medication.
Synonyms
- Autocrat: A ruler who has absolute power.
- Despot: A ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way.
- Sovereign: A supreme ruler, especially a monarch.
- Tyrant: A cruel and oppressive ruler.
Antonyms
- Subject: A person under the rule of a monarch or government.
- Citizen: A legally recognized member of a state with associated rights and duties, typically in a republic.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "To play the potentate": To act in an imperious or domineering manner, as if one were an absolute ruler. (This is a less common, figurative use.)
- In the office, he liked to play the potentate, issuing orders to everyone.
Noun
- a ruler who is unconstrained by law