Thesaurus results for POTENTATES

potentates

noun

plural of potentate

as in rulers

one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority Charles inherited the position of potentate of the Holy Roman Empire from his grandfather, as well that of king of Spain from his father

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of potentates With 775 rooms, the palace also provides office space for the royal bureaucracy and hosts lavish state dinners for visiting presidents and potentates. — CBS News, 26 June 2026 Biden put this sentiment into action by working with Netanyahu despite serious moral and political failures in Gaza, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on NATO expansion, and with Gulf potentates on the region’s security architecture. — James Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2025

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Noun

Although individual rulers adopted Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Daoism, or traditional Mongol religion, the Mongols generally practiced religious tolerance.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
Syria’s new rulers have asked Russia to hand the Assads over.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of rulers

Noun

Spain moves kings’ remains to avoid fire Spanish authorities on Thursday night transferred the remains of three 11th century kings from a monastery in the northeastern Aragón region near an active wildfire.

— Angela Charlton, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Clean water and advanced medicine, for example, are now commonplace across much of the developed world despite once being a luxury even kings and queens couldn’t reliably access.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of kings

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“Potentates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentates. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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noun

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