overlord
overlord — noun
- overlordsingular
- overlordsplural
1. a person who occupies the highest position in a system of ranked rulers, holding
a person who occupies the highest position in a system of ranked rulers, holding authority over many others including subordinate leaders — in feudal society, a major landowner who governed several lesser lords and the villages on their land.
In medieval times, the local overlord demanded crops and taxes from every village on his land.
historical feudal context
Tendai compared the international corporation to a modern overlord that controls factories in dozens of countries.
metaphorical use: corporate overlord
The rebels fought for years to throw off their foreign overlord and rule themselves.
Lucía refused to let any manager or supervisor act like an overlord in her workplace.
The ancient kingdom paid yearly tribute to its powerful overlord across the mountains.
- ruler
broader; a ruler can be any kind of leader, while an overlord implies dominance over other rulers or groups
- sovereign
formal; focuses on supreme authority within a territory, whereas overlord emphasises power over other authorities
- lord
more specific to feudal systems; overlord is a lord who stands above other lords
- master
stronger connotation of ownership rather than political hierarchy
用法筆記
Often used in a historical or political context, but also appears metaphorically for any powerful authority figure or dominant group.