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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
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 12 June 2025
There are enough despots around the world using the same divisive techniques — misinformation, disinformation — to control people.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2025
Orwell’s warnings apply across the board, not just when obvious despots and lackeys let their fascist flags fly.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025
Gerhard Siegel earns the audience’s gratitude by singing Herod not as a weak-willed despot but as a comically lascivious burgher out of Rosenkavalier.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Despot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despot. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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despot
noun
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