Word

potentate \POH-tuhn-tayt\, noun:

Meaning

One who possesses great power or sway; a ruler, sovereign, or

monarch.

Examples

The shah of Persia, although he had to acknowledge that the sultan was a worthy rival, still considered himself a mighty potentate, as did the sultan himself.

--Olivier Bernier, [1]The World in 1800

"How can he run the operation," an industry potentate wonders, "when the operations people don't report to him?"

--"Michael Mouse," [2]Time, August 28, 1995

After the capture of Tunis, the Emperor passed through Paris with the consent of his brother-in-law, King Francis, who wanted to present him with something worthy of so great a potentate.

--Benvenuto Cellini, [3]Autobiography

Extra

Potentate derives from Late Latin potentatus, "a powerful

person," from Latin potentatus, "power, especially political

power; supremacy," from potens, "able, powerful," from posse,

"to be able." It is related to potent, "powerful," and

potential, "having possibility or capability."

Paragraph

Tomorrow are the elections, the day when we decide who would be the potentate for India. Tomorrow we will decide who would rule us and loot us. We get to choose a thief who would then steal our belongings and enjoy. All this right in front of us! We ourselves give them the rights to do this. We become blind when it’s time to vote and we turn a blind eye post elections. The elected representative considers himself so great a potentate that he forgets who put him in that position and carries out his tyranny without any fear.