Dictatorize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To govern or rule with absolute authority and control, often suppressing opposition and dissent; to impose authoritarian leadership or dominance over a group or state; to exercise power tyrannically without regard for others' rights
2. To assume or enforce supreme command in a manner that disregards democratic processes and freedoms; to convert a leadership role into one marked by coercion and absolute decision-making; to dominate governance through autocratic means
3. To establish or practice leadership characterized by unchecked power and strict control over people or organizations; to transform a system into one ruled by a single, overriding authority; to lead in a manner that restricts participation and enforces submission strictly

Etymology: The core of this verb is an old Roman office. A "dictator" was a magistrate appointed in an emergency to hold supreme power for a fixed term, traditionally six months, and then to give it up. The Latin root is "dictare," meaning to say something repeatedly or dictate it, which fits an office whose orders were not open to appeal. "Dictatorize" is simply "dictator" with the suffix "-ize," which comes through Latin "-izare" from Greek "-izein" and turns a noun into a verb meaning "to make into or act as." So the verb means to govern in the manner of a dictator, to rule with force. The Roman office was meant to be temporary, which makes the verb's ordinary use a reversal of the original idea: a power designed to end is now described as something one does to others.

Synonyms: tyrannize, autocratize, oppress, dominate, monopolize

Antonyms: liberalize, democratize, free, empower, liberate