Potentate
/ˈpoʊ.tən.teɪt/noun
A powerful ruler or sovereign, especially an autocratic one.
Did you know?Potentate ultimately descends from Latin terms for being powerful or capable, linking the title to the same deep root behind “power” and “possible.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*potis
“Master, lord, or one who possesses power”
Ancient Latin
Latin
potis
“Powerful, able, or master”
Classical Latin
Latin
potens
“Powerful, capable, or influential”
Classical Latin
Latin
potentatus
“Power, authority, or rule”
13th–14th Century
Old French
potentat
“A powerful ruler or sovereign”
15th Century
English
potentate
“A person possessing great power, especially a monarch or autocrat”