despotism

noun

des·​po·​tism ˈde-spə-ˌti-zəm How to pronounce despotism (audio)
1
a
: oppressive absolute (see absolute sense 2) power and authority exerted by government : rule by a despot
an excess of law is despotism, from which free men revoltS. B. Pettengill
b
: oppressive or despotic exercise of power
educational despotism
2
a
: a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power : absolutism
b
: a despotic state
enduring the despotism of the czars

Examples of despotism in a Sentence

by the end of the 20th century many countries around the world had rejected despotism in favor of democracy
Recent Examples on the Web In the president's annual report to Congress, called for in the Constitution, a defiant Biden declared that Americans now face a choice between democracy and despotism. Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 In crafting the Constitution, the framers opted to include an impeachment clause to prevent the despotism Americans had just freed themselves from in the Revolution. Peter Baker, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2024 The wise government was one that grasped the natural despotism of the human mind. TIME, 31 Jan. 2024 In the final forty years of the ancien régime, Paris was gripped by drama, involving, among other things, royal affairs, riots over bread prices and ministerial despotism, and public demonstrations of innovations like the hot-air balloon. The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 The DeSantis campaign’s only real concern is whether caucus voters in Iowa and primary voters in New Hampshire will find his descent into despotism endearing. Fred Grimm, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024 Likewise, the Bush administration’s project in Iraq is now almost universally regarded as a disaster — the stable, proto-democratic Iraq that exists today, which any honest broker would prefer over Saddam Hussein’s aggressive, expansionist, terror-supporting despotism, entirely notwithstanding. Noah Rothman, National Review, 4 Jan. 2024 History assures us that the manipulation of public feeling through buzzy emotion and tribal appeals leads to dysfunction and despotism. Peter J. Travers, National Review, 30 Dec. 2023 Classical education does not flinch from describing the horrors of chattel slavery, religious violence, or other forms of despotism that litter the historical landscape. Adam M. Carrington, National Review, 17 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'despotism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see despot

First Known Use

circa 1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of despotism was circa 1727

Dictionary Entries Near despotism

Cite this Entry

“Despotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despotism. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

despotism

noun
des·​po·​tism ˈdes-pə-ˌtiz-əm How to pronounce despotism (audio)
1
: rule by a despot : tyranny
2
: a state or a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power

More from Merriam-Webster on despotism

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