Relating to or characteristic of a dictator; exercising power in a harsh, autocratic, and oppressive manner without considering others' opinions.
From Latin dictatorius, from dictator (magister populi, a Roman magistrate with supreme power). Evolved to describe any authoritarian ruler or behavior.
The word comes from Ancient Rome, where a 'dictator' was actually a legal position for emergency rule—but eventually 'dictatorial' became synonymous with tyranny and oppression across history.
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