noun
potentate
Potentate (noun) means a ruler with great power, such as a king or emperor.
noun
1
A ruler with great power, such as a king or emperor.
"Bad news for a certain kind of pedantic patriot (look away now, Jacob Rees-Mogg). Prince Charles has debased the English language – and in a letter to a foreign potentate, no less."
— David Shariatmadari, Ize on the prize: is Prince Charles the last guardian of British spelling? (2019)
"Anyone expecting such a speech has forgotten that Trump’s first impulse is to please. He is constitutionally incapable of displeasing a live audience, let alone a foreign potentate who has recently lassoed him with a golden chain."
— Graeme Wood, Trump Complies Perfectly With the Saudi Line (2017)
"Life for ordinary barons in Outremer Jerusalem was probably better than for kings in Europe, where even potentates wore unlaundered wool and lived in bare-stone draughty keeps with rough furniture."
— Simon Sebag Montefiore, Jerusalem: The Biography – A History of the Middle East (2011)
2
A powerful state or organisation.
3
Someone who thinks far too highly of themselves.
4
A person carrying out a significant or influential role.
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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”).
Synonyms
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Rhymes for potentate
See all rhymes for potentate →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of potentate?
"potentate" (noun) means a ruler with great power, such as a king or emperor.
What is another word for potentate?
Other words for "potentate" include dictator.
What are the different meanings of potentate?
"potentate" has 3 main meanings: 1. A ruler with great power, such as a king or emperor; 2. A powerful state or organisation; 3. Someone who thinks far too highly of themselves.
