despot

noun

des·​pot ˈde-spət How to pronounce despot (audio)
-ˌspät
1
a
: a ruler with absolute power and authority
tyrannical despots
b
: one exercising power tyrannically : a person exercising absolute power in a brutal or oppressive way
regards the basketball coach as a despot
2
a
: a Byzantine emperor or prince
b
Christianity : a bishop or patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church
c
: an Italian hereditary prince or military leader during the Renaissance

Did you know?

In his 1755 dictionary, Samuel Johnson said of despot, "this word is not in use, except as applied to some Dacian prince; as the despot of Servia." Indeed at that time, the word was mainly used to identify some very specific rulers or religious officials, and the title was an honorable one: it comes from a Greek word meaning "lord" or "master." That situation changed toward the end of the 18th century, perhaps because French Revolutionists, who were said to have been "very liberal in conferring this title," considered all sovereigns to be tyrannical. Eventually, despot came to be used primarily for any ruler who wielded absolute and often contemptuous and oppressive power.

Examples of despot in a Sentence

He was a successful basketball coach, but many people regarded him as a petty despot. The company is run by a benevolent despot.
Recent Examples on the Web Egalitarian despots: hierarchy steepness, reciprocity and the grooming-trade model in wild chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes WIREs Cognitive Science. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2024 Bed-bound and suffering, the insecure and impulsive despot has paid a high price for recklessly flying Sunfyre into battle at Rook’s Rest during last week’s episode of House of the Dragon. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 The Past 10 pieces of wisdom from Roman emperors Even tyrants and despots offer wisdom worth heeding. Big Think, 24 June 2024 The question is whether Kim’s blossoming bromance with Putin risks emboldening the North Korean despot. Charlie Campbell, TIME, 19 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for despot 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'despot.' 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

Middle French despote, from Greek despotēs master, lord, autocrat, from des- (akin to domos house) + -potēs (akin to posis husband); akin to Sanskrit dampati lord of the house — more at dome, potent

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of despot was in 1585

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near despot

Cite this Entry

“Despot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despot. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

despot

noun
des·​pot ˈdes-pət How to pronounce despot (audio)
-ˌpät
1
: a ruler with absolute power and authority
2
: a person who uses power in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
despotic
des-ˈpät-ik
adjective
despotically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on despot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!