Autocratic describes a way of leading where one person makes all the decisions without asking others for their input or consent. An autocratic ruler controls a country alone, making laws and policies without listening to citizens or sharing power with anyone else. In an autocratic government, the leader's word is final, there are no checks on their authority, and people have little say in how they're governed.

History shows many examples: ancient pharaohs, medieval kings, and modern dictators have all ruled autocratically.

You can also use autocratic to describe smaller-scale leadership. An autocratic teacher might refuse to hear students' ideas about a class project, insisting everything be done exactly their way. An autocratic coach might never ask the team's opinion, simply telling everyone what to do.

The opposite is democratic leadership, where decisions involve input from the group.