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Potentate has been wielding its power in English since the 15th century. It comes from the Late Latin potentatus, which in turn was formed from the Latin potent-, meaning "powerful." Other descendants of potent- in English include potent itself, impotent, and omnipotent, as well as the archaic armipotent and very rare bellipotent (meaning, respectively, "mighty in battle" and "mighty in war"). Even power and powerful can be traced back to potent-.
Synonyms of potentate
Examples of potentate in a Sentence
Charles inherited the position of potentate of the Holy Roman Empire from his grandfather, as well that of king of Spain from his father.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
With 775 rooms, the palace also provides office space for the royal bureaucracy and hosts lavish state dinners for visiting presidents and potentates.
—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
The game is a playground for Russian oligarchs, Middle Eastern potentates, and Latin American strongmen—his people.
—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
7 Apr. 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
See All Example Sentences for potentate
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CBS News,
26 June 2026
With 775 rooms, the palace also provides office space for the royal bureaucracy and hosts lavish state dinners for visiting presidents and potentates.
—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
The game is a playground for Russian oligarchs, Middle Eastern potentates, and Latin American strongmen—his people.
—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
7 Apr. 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
See All Example Sentences for potentate
Cite this Entry
“Potentate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potentate. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
potentate
noun
po·ten·tate
ˈpōt-ᵊn-ˌtāt 
: a person who has controlling power : sovereign
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