Learn the meaning of dictator , a leader who has complete power in a country and has not been elected by the people. Find synonyms, antonyms, translations and usage examples of dictator in English. The Dictator : Directed by Larry Charles. With Sacha Baron Cohen, Sayed Badreya, Rocky Citron, Liam Campora. The heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed. The word " dictator " comes from the Roman Republic, where a man would be given absolute power for six to twelve months to handle an emergency. Julius Caesar was the last Roman Dictator . Some dictators in history have gained political power through by violently taking over the existing government (for example, in a military coup, civil war or revolution). Others won an election, but once in power, they cancelled new elections or changed how they were run to make them unfair for opponents. Mao ... In modern usage, the term dictator is generally used to describe a leader who holds or abuses an extraordinary amount of personal power. Julius Caesar outmaneuvered his opponents in ancient Rome to install himself as dictator for life.