Plutocrat and autocrat are two words that are sometimes used interchangeably, but in reality have a slight difference in meaning. We will examine the difference between the definitions of plutocrat and autocrat, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
A plutocrat is a person whose power or authority to rule is derived from his possession of great wealth. A plutocracy is a society that is governed by the wealthy. Plutocrat is considered a perjorative, and a plutocracy is not a respected form of government. Plutocracies are not based on moral or political systems, they are simply based on the self-serving wishes of those who wish to continue to enrich themselves. The word plutocrat is derived from the Greek word ploutokratia, which means the authority and power of those who are wealthy.
An autocrat is a person who rules with absolute power. An autocracy is a society that is governed by one person, all power is concentrated on this one person’s hands. An autocrat may rule for entirely selfish reasons or he may have the best interests of his people at heart. Today, however, the word autocrat has a negative connotation, as citizens prefer to have more input into their own governance. Autocrat is also uses figuratively to describe an imperious or demanding person. The word autocrat is derived from the Greek word autokrates, which means ruling all by oneself.
Examples
This ingrained philanthropic tradition exerts a formidable, if unspoken, pressure on American plutocrats to give vast self-denying gifts. (The Patriot Post)
Some idiot collector of course: the kind of plutocrat who needs an adviser to help him choose, who becomes a gallery trustee for the cachet, who buys art as a talking point for parties. (The Guardian)
Hinting that the CM is an autocrat, he had said no other minister in the cabinet has any role in the running of the government, a charge that silently resonates even within the LDF. (The Times of India)
The trailers for The Putin Interviews, Showtime’s four-part series documenting a series of conversations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Stone, would have you believe that you’re going to hear some pretty hard-hitting stuff as the autocrat and the filmmaker face off, Frost-Nixon style. (The Rolling Stone)