Learn English – Word for Powerless Position

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Is there a word for someone who holds a position but they have no real power, they just merely have the title but not the power or privileges that come with it? I'm looking for a word with a negative connotation, almost like a placeholder position.

Best Answer

In general, figurehead seems like the best fit to me. From Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

figurehead: a person who is in a high position in a country or an organization but who has no real power or authority

However, in some cases this is more of a built-in feature of the position rather than of the individual holding it.

In terms of connotation, "figurehead" seems fairly neutral to me. It doesn't really have a positive connotation, since it implies a large degree of powerlessness, but I also wouldn't say it's necessarily negative.

Here are some other questions on the site that discuss the concept of a figurehead, and also the complementary concept of the "power behind the throne":

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