autocratrix
|au-to-cra-trix|
/ˌɔːtəˈkrætrɪks/
female absolute ruler
Etymology
'autocratrix' originates from modern English coinage based on 'autocrat' (from Greek 'autokrátēs') combined with the Latin-derived feminine agent suffix '-trix', where 'auto-' meant 'self' and 'krátēs' meant 'ruler'.
'autocrat' comes from Greek 'autokrátēs' ('auto-' + 'krátēs'), entered Medieval and Modern English via Latin and French forms; the feminine agentive suffix '-trix' is Latin (used in e.g. 'aviator'/'aviatrix'), and 'autocratrix' is a later English formation modeling a feminine counterpart to 'autocrat'.
Initially the Greek-root term meant 'self-ruler' (one who rules by oneself); over time 'autocrat' came to mean a ruler with absolute power, and 'autocratrix' carries that core meaning applied specifically to a female ruler or dominant woman.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a female autocrat; a woman who rules with absolute power or authority, often without effective constitutional limits.
As party leader she acted as an autocratrix, making decisions without consulting the committee.
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Noun 2
a figurative or humorous label for a woman who dominates an organization or group through personal authority or force of personality rather than formal power.
The board joked that she was the autocratrix of the start-up, but they respected her judgment.
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Last updated: 2025/11/24 21:02