as in ruler
one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority
Charles inherited the position of potentate of the Holy Roman Empire from his grandfather, as well that of king of Spain from his father
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Recent Examples of potentate
With the pandemic, the year-round population of a once-seasonal resort town swelled with Manhattan refugees, those in the Trump orbit, and tech and finance potentates, many of them serious collectors like Ken Griffin and Steve Ross.
—
Ben Widdicombe, Vulture, 12 May 2025
But in his mid-80s, King George ponders whether to abdicate and devote his remaining days to finding female companionship (the aging potentate remains potent with the help of Viagra and similar pharmaceuticals).
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 May 2025
The cover of the first issue of The New Yorker, dated Feb. 21, 1925, carried no portraits of potentates or tycoons, no headlines, no come-ons.
—Christopher B. Daly, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Or were all those billionaire potentates in the Capitol Rotunda — seated in front of Trump’s Cabinet picks — asserting their social, economic and cultural hegemony?
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potentate
Ben Widdicombe, Vulture, 12 May 2025
But in his mid-80s, King George ponders whether to abdicate and devote his remaining days to finding female companionship (the aging potentate remains potent with the help of Viagra and similar pharmaceuticals).
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 May 2025
The cover of the first issue of The New Yorker, dated Feb. 21, 1925, carried no portraits of potentates or tycoons, no headlines, no come-ons.
—Christopher B. Daly, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Or were all those billionaire potentates in the Capitol Rotunda — seated in front of Trump’s Cabinet picks — asserting their social, economic and cultural hegemony?
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potentate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potentate
Noun
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The ensuing rulers, the Joseon monarchy, did their predecessors one better.—
Lori Waxman,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Skipping that meeting and quitting OPEC at the same time will be seen as a snub to Saudi’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His wife, Camilla, formerly the Duchess of Cornwall, became the Queen Consort, at the request of the former monarch.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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King Charles is also scheduled to address Congress, marking only the second time a British monarch has delivered remarks to a joint meeting, after Queen Elizabeth II’s address in 1991, according to The Associated Press.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The sovereign's sceptre with cross The sovereign's sceptre with cross dates back to 1661, when it was first used at the coronation of King Charles II.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
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Legitimate authority Historically, the conversation about a war’s justness began by asking whether a responsible sovereign had declared it.—
Valerie Morkevicius,
The Conversation,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Potentate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentate. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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