Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Tending to tell others what to do in an presumptuous manner.
  • adjective Of, relating to, or characteristic of a dictator or dictatorship; autocratic.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to a dictator; absolute; unlimited.
  • Pertaining to or characteristic of dictation; imperious; overbearing; dogmatic.
  • Synonyms Authoritative, Dogmatic, etc. See magisterial.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Pertaining or suited to a dictator; absolute.
  • adjective Characteristic of a dictator; imperious; dogmatical; overbearing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective of or pertaining to a dictator
  • adjective in the manner of a dictator, usually with callous disregard for others

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective of or characteristic of a dictator
  • adjective expecting unquestioning obedience
  • adjective characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty

Etymologies

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Examples

  • A Democrat who had originally requested a Justice Department -- Justice Department probe of the program says he will ask Mr. Bush to allow one now, saying, we can't have a president acting in what he called a dictatorial fashion.

    CNN Transcript Jul 18, 2006 2006

  • Putin accused the United States of pursuing what he called a dictatorial foreign policy.

    CNN Transcript Dec 3, 2004 2004

  • The SPLA is fighting for autonomy for southern Sudan while the northern Sudanese opposition forces are fighting to topple what they call the dictatorial Islamic regime of president Omar Beshir.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1997

  • The SPLA is fighting for autonomy for southern Sudan while the northern Sudanese opposition forces are fighting to topple what they call the dictatorial Islamic regime in Khartoum to replace it with a democratic government.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1997

  • Even if one has a mind to, how does a chap go about becoming a specialist in dictatorial representation?

    The Pariah Guy 2005

  • Even if one has a mind to, how does a chap go about becoming a specialist in dictatorial representation?

    The Pariah Guy 2005

  • So if we remember that politics are politics even in dictatorial regimes, we must realize Mr.K. came to the United States under a considerable emotional compulsion to demonstrate to the folks back home that he was not, as his enemies say, soft on Capitalism.

    Gains and Losses in the Cold War 1960

  • Can we find such weaknesses in dictatorial nations with which we have to compete?

    Save Our Timber and Forest Industries 1940

  • The current regime, though theocratic and dictatorial, is not as unhinged as Kim’s.

    Think Progress » ThinkFast: February 19, 2010 2010

  • The current regime, though theocratic and dictatorial, is not as unhinged as Kim’s.

    Think Progress » ThinkFast: February 19, 2010 2010

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