despotism

noun

ˈde-spə-ˌti-zəm How to pronounce despotism (audio)
Definition of despotismnext
as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power by the end of the 20th century many countries around the world had rejected despotism in favor of democracy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of despotism The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026 The strength and powers of despotism consist wholly in the fear of resisting it. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Nov. 2025 That’s authoritarian bluster of the sort heard in despotisms. — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 4 Oct. 2025 The Bashar Assad regime’s collapse inspired a wave of optimism about despotism turning into democracy. — Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for despotism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despotism
  1. tyranny
  2. dictatorship
  3. fascism
  4. autocracy
Noun
  • Lawmakers from Fidesz and its coalition party, the Christian Democrats, did not take part in Monday’s vote, calling the charges against their lawmakers political tyranny by Magyar’s government.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • And Ric Salinas, who plays Chachalacani, humorously obliges, bringing his Culture Clash vaudeville skills to the role of the sentry who’s caught between the rock of Klion’s tyranny and his fellow feeling for Antíkona’s sympathetic cause.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of tyranny
Noun
  • This is a sensitive moment for Brazil's democracy Brazil emerged from military dictatorship in 1985 and has since developed into one of the world's largest democracies.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Cseh, the archive's director, said successor governments to dictatorships rarely disclose the names of previous agents and informants, let alone records as detailed as those Hungary is preparing to release.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Through the character of Señorita Rio, Renée was able to combat fascism and showcase fabulous fashion.
    — Gaby Iori October 7, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Many immigrants who arrived in the United States from Europe, including some Italians who came during the two years between Mussolini’s March on Rome and the passage of the Immigration Act of 1924, left Italy because of the rise of fascism.
    — Ed Simon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • Brazil has neither the concentrated authority of an autocracy nor democratic institutions strong enough to serve the same function.
    — MATIAS SPEKTOR, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
  • International experts have denounced President Faustin-Archange Touadera’s repression of the opposition and push to eliminate term limits as worrisome turns toward autocracy.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of autocracy

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despotism
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Cite this Entry

“Despotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despotism. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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