despotic
adjective
des·pot·ic
de-ˈspä-tik 
di-
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a despot
a despotic government
Synonyms of despotic
Examples of despotic in a Sentence
a nation ruled by a series of despotic rulers, each seemingly worse than the last
the despotic coach demands that his players obey him without question
Recent Examples on the Web
The proud and courageous Iranian people are rising up against the tyrannical, despotic and oppressive regime that imposed its vicious rule in 1979 and has governed by fear and murder ever since.
—
Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026
Soon, Venezuelan Jews joined others in the country in growing sharply concerned about a crackdown on civil liberties, the worsening economy and Chávez’s praise for despotic leaders such as Saddam Hussein.
—Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
Cortinas’ efforts for the government to reveal the truth about her son’s whereabouts sparked the Madres de Plaza de Mayo movement, where the mothers of revolutionaries protested and pressured the despotic government for information about their missing children.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025
The Holocaust was planned and fomented in secrecy by a despotic regime.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despotic
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Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026
Soon, Venezuelan Jews joined others in the country in growing sharply concerned about a crackdown on civil liberties, the worsening economy and Chávez’s praise for despotic leaders such as Saddam Hussein.
—Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
Cortinas’ efforts for the government to reveal the truth about her son’s whereabouts sparked the Madres de Plaza de Mayo movement, where the mothers of revolutionaries protested and pressured the despotic government for information about their missing children.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025
The Holocaust was planned and fomented in secrecy by a despotic regime.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despotic
Cite this Entry
“Despotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despotic. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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