a speaker who dictates to a secretary or a recording machine
"The general sat back and let his assistant take notes while he dictated every word of his speech into the recorder."
a person who behaves in a tyrannical manner
"my boss is a dictator who makes everyone work overtime"
A totalitarian leader of a country, nation, or government.
"The dictator refused to allow any opposition parties in his country."
The word comes from the Latin dictātor, meaning "a chief magistrate," which is derived from the verb dīcō ("to say" or "speak"). Its original sense was literally "one who dictates."