Basic Details
Word: Autocrat
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A ruler who has total power and does not share it; also, a person who insists on having their own way.
Synonyms: dictator, tyrant, despot
Antonyms: democrat
How to Spell Autocrat
Syllables: au - to - crat
Tricky part: It starts with au, not o or aw. The ending is -crat, as in democrat and bureaucrat, not -krat or -cret.
Watch out for: otocrat, autocrate, autocret
Memory tip: Auto means self, as in automatic and autograph, and -crat means a ruler. An autocrat rules all alone.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The old king was an autocrat who never asked his ministers for advice.
Example 2: Our new hostel warden behaves like an autocrat about lights-out time.
Example 3: History shows that an autocrat can lose power very suddenly.
Fun Fact
The Russian tsars officially called themselves Autocrat of All the Russias.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word autocrat as used in the sentence:
The new president turned out to be an autocrat who silenced every critic.
a) tyrant
b) dictator
c) democrat
d) despot
Show answer
c) democrat. Dictator, tyrant and despot are all rulers who take every decision alone; a democrat believes in rule by the people.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. democrasy 2. parliment 3. autocrat 4. monarky
a) a ruler who has total power
b) the body of people who make the laws of a country
c) rule by a king or queen
d) government by the people through elected leaders
Show answer
a) a ruler who has total power. Democracy ends -cy, parliament has an a after li, and monarchy has ch, so autocrat is right.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Everyone in the office feared the new manager, a strict tauocart who checked every email.
a) acrobat
b) autocrat
c) advocate
d) aristocrat
Show answer
b) autocrat. Eight letters with two t's and a u, and no i, b or v: autocrat.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An autocrat is someone who ____.
a) shares power with others
b) has no power at all
c) is elected by the people
d) rules alone with total power
Show answer
d) rules alone with total power
2. An autocratic school principal is one who ____.
a) makes every decision without asking anyone
b) asks students to vote on every rule
c) is rarely seen in school
d) lets the teachers decide everything
Show answer
a) makes every decision without asking anyone
