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American Heritage Dictionary:
po·ten·tate |
[Middle English potentat, from Old French, from Late Latin potentātus, from Latin, power, from potēns, present participle of posse, to be able. See potent.]
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Cesar Chavez was the potentate for the farm worker's movement for many years.
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potentate |
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Potentate |
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Potentate (from the Latin potens, 'powerful') is an informal term for a person with potent, usually supreme, power.
Potentate is the title used by the A.A.O.N.M.S. (Shriners) for the head of a local Shrine. The head of the Shriners of North America is titled the Imperial Potentate. The staff and volunteers of the ISA (International Instrumentation Symposium) are also called potentates.
The term was used by the Christian Church to describe Jesus, it can be found in 1 Timothy 6:15. One example of this use is in the hymn "Crown him with many crowns" in which Jesus is described as "potentate of time"
Originally, it designated the absolute monarch (synonymous with autocrat, which was also used as a title) of a great state.
From the negative connotations of such rule, mainly in the Orient, derives its generalized use for the head of any totalitarian and/or abusive regime, as a synonym for despot, dictator, or tyrant (all three in the modern, derogatory sense, contrary to a rather lofty historical origin), also at a sub-state level, or even a big boss in private life.
The term is also used to describe an ambassador performing negotiations on behalf of a large group. (States are often styled powers, in diplomatic language, even if politically and militarily weak).
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Translations:
Potentate |
Nederlands (Dutch)
potentaat, machthebber
Français (French)
n. - potentat
Deutsch (German)
n. - Potentat, Machthaber
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - άρχοντας, ηγεμόνας
Português (Portuguese)
n. - potentado (m)
Español (Spanish)
n. - potentado
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - potentat
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
有权的人, 统治者, 有势力的人
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 有權的人, 統治者, 有勢力的人
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) العاهل, الملك, الحاكم
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - שליט, רב-השפעה, חזק
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Copyrights:
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 | American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Rhymes. Oxford University Press. © 2006, 2007 All rights reserved. Read more | |
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| Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Potentate. Read more |
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| Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
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