as in monarch
one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority
the aging ruler agonized over the choice of an heir
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruler
But the new ruler of the Iron Throne has to make a power statement.
—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
The practice, many legal historians believe, dates to the 1600s and 1700s, with European rulers encouraging migration to the expanding American colonies.
—
Julie Watson,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
Joseph Stalin—the Soviet Union’s supreme ruler from 1929 to 1953 and a murderous tyrant legendary for drinking friends and enemies under the table—was a closet oenophile, the e-mail explained.
—
Frankie Mills,
Air Mail,
27 June 2026
In the fifth century CE, the western half of the Roman Empire disintegrated into a patchwork of new kingdoms and new rulers.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruler
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
The practice, many legal historians believe, dates to the 1600s and 1700s, with European rulers encouraging migration to the expanding American colonies.
—
Julie Watson,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
Joseph Stalin—the Soviet Union’s supreme ruler from 1929 to 1953 and a murderous tyrant legendary for drinking friends and enemies under the table—was a closet oenophile, the e-mail explained.
—
Frankie Mills,
Air Mail,
27 June 2026
In the fifth century CE, the western half of the Roman Empire disintegrated into a patchwork of new kingdoms and new rulers.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruler
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruler
Noun
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After presenting the honors at the investiture at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch donned a top hat for a garden party at the palace with Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
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The royal family's most recent group outing was at the annual Trooping the Colour military parade on June 13, celebrating the official birthday of Britain's monarch, King Charles III.
Noun
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Brass is best-known for his 1979 feature Caligula, an erotic period epic about the notorious Roman emperor, adapted from a screenplay written by Gore Vidal and starring Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole and John Gielgud.
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Even the richest emperors of the past did not have the ability to satisfy their whims that is now possessed by any student in Chicago or Berlin or Kinshasa.
Noun
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The centuries-old ceremony sees the sovereign symbolically accept the keys to the city of Edinburgh and immediately return them for safekeeping.
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This has seen both sovereigns and corporates raising billions of dollars in conventional bonds and sukuk over recent months.
Noun
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The future king of Britain descends from American patriots who fought against the crown he is destined to inherit, according to a new book tracing Prince William's family tree.
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The Goodnight Suite is the crème de la crème of the property spanning almost 2,000 square feet and featuring a living room, dining room, and a bedroom with a king size bed.
Cite this Entry
“Ruler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruler. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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