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Message: <blockquote data-quote="nevin" data-source="post: 9888707" data-attributes="member: 7024481">no.   A dictator can be a tyrant.  A dictator can also be someone given ultimate authority by the ruling body to do what needs to be done in a time of crisis.    An evil dictator would probably not step down after that a non evil dictator would relenquish power when the time was over.       Now people given absolute power tend to abuse it so it's often assumed all dictators are evil. (I'll grant you most turn out that way)  But that would be an assumption that has nothing to do with the definition of the word.   The original definition was the Roman definition and they actually declared the person given ultimate authority "Dictator" .  The dictator was appointed for 6 months to rule the empire.  there were many who did not exceed thier 6 month time frame.  Ceaser was once a dictator of Rome.   The interesting thing about how the Romans did it was that the Dictator could not be held acountable for anything till after their period of service was over.   from the dictionary. a: a person granted absolute emergency powerespecially, history : one appointed by the senate (see <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senate" target="_blank">senate sense 1b</a>) of ancient Romeb: one holding complete autocratic control : a person with unlimited governmental powerc: one ruling in an absolute (see <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absolute" target="_blank">absolute sense 2</a>) and often oppressive wayfascist dictators2: one who says or reads something for a person to transcribe or for a machine to record : one that dictates (see <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictate#h1" target="_blank">dictate entry 1 sense 1</a>)</blockquote>

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