Potentate
/ˈpoʊtənˌteɪt/
nounC2
Definition
A potentate is a person who has strong power, usually a king, queen, emperor, or other ruler who controls a land or people. This word often suggests that the ruler has very strong or even total power, sometimes without limits from laws or others.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
A ruler with great or absolute power
- •The potentate ruled the kingdom with an iron fist.
- •Many ancient potentates lived in grand palaces and made laws alone.
- •The potentate's decisions affected the lives of millions.
Sometimes used to describe any very powerful person in a certain area
- •The business potentate controlled several large companies.
- •As a cultural potentate, she influenced the art world deeply.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "potentate" like "king" (A1 word), but with a stronger feeling of full control and power over everything
- ✓Picture a crown on a head, sitting on a throne high above many people, making important decisions alone
- ✓It's the feeling of respect mixed with fear when you see someone who can decide the fate of many people
- ✓Sounds like "POT-en-tate" → imagine a pot full of power, boiling and strong, ready to pour out control
- ✓Think of famous kings or emperors in stories who have the final say in their kingdom, like a powerful ruler in fairy tales
- ✓NOT like "leader" (can be any person in charge with limited power), "potentate" means very strong, often absolute power
- ✓NOT like "president" or "prime minister" (usually elected and limited by rules), "potentate" often means power without limits
- ✓NOT like "boss" (small group control), "potentate" controls whole nations or empires
Try Other Words
- •Monarch: a king or queen (Use when talking about traditional royal rulers)
- •Sovereign: a supreme ruler with full power (Use in formal or legal contexts)
- •Autocrat: a ruler with unlimited power, often without caring about others (Use when power is absolute and sometimes unfair)
- •Leader: a person in charge (Use when power is limited or shared)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "potent-" (from Latin meaning "powerful") + suffix "-ate" (used to form nouns for people)
- •Etymology: From Latin "potentatus," meaning power or rule by a powerful person
- •Historical development: Used in English since the late 1400s to describe kings or rulers with strong power
- •Modern usage: Mostly literary or formal, describing powerful rulers in history or fiction, sometimes used metaphorically for powerful people in business or culture
Reflect & Connect
•How does the idea of a potentate compare to modern leaders in your country or world?
•Can a person be a potentate without being a king or queen? How might that happen today?
Fill in the blanks
1.A potentate usually has ___ power over a country, often without ___ from others.
2.Unlike a democratic leader, a potentate often makes decisions ___ without asking for advice.
3.The term potentate is often used to describe rulers who have ___ control, not a simple ___.
4.When a potentate rules, people may feel both respect and ___.
5.In stories, a potentate might live in a ___ palace and wear a heavy ___.
6.A business potentate controls many companies, showing power ___ to politics.
7.Unlike a president, a potentate's power is often ___ and not limited by laws.