autocrat

Etymology

Borrowed from French autocrate, itself from Ancient Greek αὐτοκρατής (autokratḗs, “sovereign”), from αὐτο- (auto-, “self”) (combinatory form of αὐτός (autós)) + κρατία (kratía, “rule”) (from κράτος (krátos, “strength, power”)).

noun

1. An absolute ruler with infinite power.
   Indeed, we take this trip at a time when the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy. As Russia wages its premeditated, illegal war against Ukraine, killing thousands of innocents — even children — it is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats. August 2, 2022, Nancy Pelosi, “Nancy Pelosi: Why I’m leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan”, in The Washington Post, archived from the original on 2022-08-02, Opinion
2. A title borne by some such monarchs, as in Byzantium and tsarist Russia.
3. Until the 20th century, a favorable description of a ruler who was connected with the concept of lack of conflicts of interest and an indication of grandeur and power.