dictator
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dictator
A person who rules with unlimited power and often obtains and maintains that power through violence.
Der Diktator unterdrückte jede Form von Opposition im Land.
The dictator suppressed every form of opposition in the country.
The word 'Diktator' is closely related to the verb 'diktieren' (to dictate; to order) and the noun 'die Diktatur' (dictatorship, a form of rule). All the words have the Latin origin 'dictare', which means 'to say' or 'to command'.
In einer Diktatur hat das Volk keine Macht.
In a dictatorship, the people have no power.
'Diktator' belongs to the N-declension. This means it gets the ending '-en' in the accusative, dative, and plural. Only in the nominative singular and genitive singular does it not have an '-en' ending.
Das Volk protestierte gegen den Diktator.
The people protested against the dictator.
In a political context, 'Diktator' is often used with verbs such as 'herrschen' (to rule), 'an die Macht kommen' (to come to power), or 'stürzen' (to overthrow). Typical adjectives are 'grausam' (cruel), 'skrupellos' (ruthless), or 'ehemalig' (former).
Das Militär half dem Diktator, an die Macht zu kommen.
The military helped the dictator come to power.
You can recognize the figurative meaning from the context. If the word is used in an everyday setting such as the family, a sports club, or work, it usually refers to a domineering person who is not politically powerful.
Mein alter Trainer war ein echter Diktator, aber wir haben viel von ihm gelernt.
My old coach was a real dictator, but we learned a lot from him.
guide / leader
'der Führer' and 'der Diktator' can both have to do with power and leadership, but they are not the same. 'Diktator' means a person who rules with very great, often unlimited power, usually without free checks or oversight. The word is clearly negative. 'Führer' can generally mean a leading person, but in German it is historically very burdened because of Hitler's title. For that reason, in political contexts it can quickly call National Socialism to mind. Learners may confuse the words because Hitler was both called 'der Führer' and was a dictator. For the general political meaning, 'Diktator' is usually more precise.
Der Diktator kontrollierte das Land viele Jahre mit Gewalt.
The dictator controlled the country by force for many years.
Im Geschichtsunterricht sprechen wir über den Titel „der Führer“ im Nationalsozialismus.
In history class, we talk about the title 'der Führer' under National Socialism.