"Dictatorship". From the Latin "dictatura". 1 . Historical Origins. An institution of the ancient Roman Republic by which a magistrate (dictator) was vested with full authority of the state to deal with an emergency of an exceptional or military nature. Its duration did not generally exceed six months. The first dictator was Titus Lartius in 501 BC. C . 2 . Current concept. A political regime that, by force or violence, concentrates all power in one person or in one group or organization and represses human rights and individual freedoms. Cf. RAE.
