dictatorial

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dic·ta·to·ri·al

(dĭk′tə-tôr′ē-əl)

adj.

1. Tending to tell others what to do in an presumptuous manner.

2. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a dictator or dictatorship; autocratic.

dic′ta·to′ri·al·ly adv.

Synonyms: dictatorial, autocratic, authoritarian, imperious, tyrannical, domineering, overbearing
These adjectives mean imposing or tending to impose one's will on others. Dictatorial and autocratic stress the highhanded, peremptory manner characteristic of a dictator or despot: ordered the staff about in her usual dictatorial manner; an autocratic teacher who was uninterested in his students' opinions.
Authoritarian implies the expectation of unquestioning obedience: the timid child of authoritarian parents.
Imperious suggests the arrogant manner of one accustomed to commanding: dismissed my opinion with an imperious gesture.
Tyrannical connotes the zealous application of absolute power: was known as a tyrannical director who intimidated everyone on the set.
Domineering and overbearing imply a tendency to assert one's will in a rude or oppressive manner: a domineering child who told the group which games they would play; an overbearing customer demanding to see the manager.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

dictatorial

(ˌdɪktəˈtɔːrɪəl)

adj

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) of or characteristic of a dictator

2. tending to dictate; tyrannical; overbearing

ˌdictaˈtorially adv

ˌdictaˈtorialness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dic•ta•to•ri•al

(ˌdɪk təˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr-)

adj.

1. of or pertaining to a dictator or dictatorship.

2. appropriate to or characteristic of a dictator.

3. inclined to dictate; imperious; overbearing: a dictatorial attitude.

[1695–1705]

dic`ta•to′ri•al•ly, adv.

dic`ta•to′ri•al•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	dictatorial - of or characteristic of a dictator; "dictatorial powers"
	2.	dictatorial - expecting unquestioning obedience; "the timid child of authoritarian parents"; "insufferably overbearing behavior toward the waiter" overbearing, authoritarian domineering - tending to domineer
	3.	dictatorial - characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty; "an authoritarian regime"; "autocratic government"; "despotic rulers"; "a dictatorial rule that lasted for the duration of the war"; "a tyrannical government" authoritarian, tyrannic, tyrannical, autocratic, despotic undemocratic - not in agreement with or according to democratic doctrine or practice or ideals; "the union broke with its past undemocratic procedures"

dictatorial

adjective

1. absolute, unlimited, totalitarian, autocratic, unrestricted, tyrannical, despotic He suspended the constitution and assumed dictatorial powers.
absolute democratic, restricted, constitutional, egalitarian

2. domineering, authoritarian, oppressive, bossy (informal), imperious, overbearing, magisterial, iron-handed, dogmatical his dictatorial management style
domineering humble, tolerant, servile, suppliant

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

dictatorial

adjective

1. Tending to dictate:

authoritarian, bossy, dogmatic, domineering, imperious, magisterial, masterful, overbearing, peremptory.

2. Having and exercising complete political power and control:

absolute, absolutistic, arbitrary, autarchic, autarchical, autocratic, autocratical, despotic, monocratic, totalitarian, tyrannic, tyrannical, tyrannous.

3. Characterized by or favoring absolute obedience to authority:

authoritarian, autocratic, despotic, totalitarian, tyrannic, tyrannical.

Translations

dictatorial

[ˌdɪktəˈtɔːrɪəl] ADJ [manner etc] → dictatorial

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

dictatorial

[ˌdɪktəˈtɔːriəl]

adj

[powers] → dictatorial(e)

(= domineering) → dictatorial(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

dictatorial

adj, dictatorially

adv → diktatorisch

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

dictatorial

[ˌdɪktəˈtɔːrɪəl] adj → dittatoriale, da dittatore

References in classic literature ?

The emphasis was helped by the speaker's voice, which was inflexible, dry, and dictatorial. The emphasis was helped by the speaker's hair, which bristled on the skirts of his bald head, a plantation of firs to keep the wind from its shining surface, all covered with knobs, like the crust of a plum pie, as if the head had scarcely warehouse-room for the hard facts stored inside.

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Then ensued grumbling, discontent, murmurs; they blamed the president, taxed him with dictatorial conduct.

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From this complacence, the critics have been emboldened to assume a dictatorial power, and have so far succeeded, that they are now become the masters, and have the assurance to give laws to those authors from whose predecessors they originally received them.

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whose dictatorial looks dispense To Children affluence, to Rushworth sense.

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Jaggers being highly dictatorial, and Wemmick obstinately justifying himself whenever there was the smallest point in abeyance for a moment.

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Lucien having left, Danglars took his place on the sofa, closed the open book, and placing himself in a dreadfully dictatorial attitude, he began playing with the dog; but the animal, not liking him as well as Debray, and attempting to bite him, Danglars seized him by the skin of his neck and threw him upon a couch on the other side of the room.

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"I believe her to be both in a great degree," replied Wickham; "I have not seen her for many years, but I very well remember that I never liked her, and that her manners were dictatorial and insolent.

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Captain Thorn was an honest, straighforward, but somewhat dry and dictatorial commander, who, having been nurtured in the system and discipline of a ship of war, and in a sacred opinion of the supremacy of the quarter-deck, was disposed to be absolute lord and master on board of his ship.

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The closeness of their connection with the church made them adopt a slightly dictatorial attitude to the rest of mankind.

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He became less serious, and rather less dictatorial at home, for he was apt to hear Mary laughing at him, and telling him, as she was fond of doing, that he knew nothing at all about anything.

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They were loud-voiced and dictatorial. They both drank a great deal, but Ben, alas, drank wine overmuch, as was common in his day, while Sam drank endless cups of tea, seventeen or eighteen it might be at a sitting, indeed he called himself a hardened and shameless tea-drinker.

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He is evidently the Sir Oracle of them,and I should think must have been in his time a most dictatorial person.