English dictionary · noun

autocrat

An absolute ruler with infinite power.

Meaning and definitions

1. An absolute ruler with infinite power.
2. A title borne by some such monarchs, as in Byzantium and tsarist Russia.
3. 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.

Connected roots

• auto-

  self

• -cracy

  power, rule

Explore the word family

These words share a recorded root connection. A shared root is a learning clue; it does not establish every step in a word’s history.

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