English → Latin
“potentate” in Latin
prī̆ncepsfirst, foremost; chief, distinguishedrēxking, ruler; despot, tyrant (during the time of the Republic when there were no kings and executive power was usually dityrannusruler, monarch; tyrant, despot
The English word potentate itself goes back to Latin possum, through potentātus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
potentate
princeps: rex: tyrannus: ☞ potentator (very late; Tert.): better, perhaps, imperii potens.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for potentate?
- The usual Latin words for “potentate” are prī̆nceps, rēx, tyrannus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.