tyranny

noun

tyr·an·ny | \ ˈtir-ə-nē

plural tyrannies

Definition of tyranny

1 : oppressive power every form of tyranny over the mind of man— Thomas Jefferson especially : oppressive power exerted by government the tyranny of a police state

2a : a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler especially : one characteristic of an ancient Greek city-state

b : the office, authority, and administration of a tyrant

3 : a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force living under the tyranny of the clock— Dixon Wecter

4 : an oppressive, harsh, or unjust act : a tyrannical act workers who had suffered tyrannies

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About tyranny

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Examples of tyranny in a Sentence

Cars freed Americans, already infamous for their mobility, from the tyranny of train schedules. — Cynthia Crossen, Wall Street Journal, 7 May 2003 Berlin remains a central attraction, and the evanescence of tyranny is a highlight of the visit. — William F. Buckley, Jr., National Review, 27 Sept. 1999 For in creating a cultural orthodoxy designed to combat racism, urban disorder, and a legacy of oppression, we subject ourselves to delusional dogma, the tyranny of conformity, and language that rings of fascist imagery. — Gerald Early, Harper's, January 1997 The refugees were fleeing tyranny. He was dedicated to ending the tyranny of slavery. a nation ruled by tyranny She felt lost in the bureaucratic tyrannies of the university system. The king sought an absolute tyranny over the colonies.

Recent Examples on the Web Common sense tells us that self-objectifying at work is a tyranny every bit as nasty. — Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2021 Venezuelans are yearning for the opposition to turn it around in these next rounds of negotiations and find a path to ultimately address the root cause of the problem: Maduro’s tyranny. — Eddy Acevedo, National Review, 22 Sep. 2021 The stories that her former staff members shared with Insider are pretty mild, as far as girl-boss tyranny goes: Did Tishgart ask employees to return shoes for her? — Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 3 July 2021 But to imply that the resistance fighters who worked under a Nazi tyranny knew in advance what would happen to the Jews and did not act adequately to save them—that is simply groundless. — Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 1 July 2021 The very idea of a revolution happening was demolishing his theory about the submissiveness of Egyptians and their capacity to coexist with tyranny. — Alaa Al Aswany, Harper's Magazine, 22 June 2021 The free, prosperous nations the US rebuilt and protected after World War II faced down communist tyranny in the form of the Soviet Union and underwrote 70 years of peace. — Stephen Collinson, CNN, 10 June 2021 Scott Ross, a professional public speaker, urged demonstrators to think of matters not in terms of pro- or anti-masks and vaccines, but as tyranny versus liberty, the Star-Telegram reported. — Hojun Choi, Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2021 Tyranny right now is in the schools and tyranny is in the medical business. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tyranny.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.