warlord
nounUK /ˈwɔːlɔːd/
US /ˈwɔːrlɔːrd/
A warlord is a leader who controls an army and rules an area by force.
The warlord took control of the town and demanded food from the villagers.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A military commander who acts independently of a central government.
In the chaos after the war, several warlords divided the country among themselves.
3. A person who uses military force to gain and keep political power.
The general became a warlord, ignoring the orders of the weak king.
4. A leader of a private armed group.
The village hired a warlord and his fighters to protect them from bandits.