as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
by the end of the 20th century many countries around the world had rejected despotism in favor of democracy
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Recent Examples of despotism
Picking your form of government used to feel like an existential choice, but now despotism and oligarchy are hardly differentiated.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025
Western governments have burdened Georgia with a special status as a democracy-in-the-making in a region otherwise beset by despotism.
—Christian Caryl, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024
The threat of despotism went away temporarily.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2024
The necessity of power sharing also meant that Congress could provide a check against despotism even if the same party held the Presidency and a majority in both houses.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despotism
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025
Western governments have burdened Georgia with a special status as a democracy-in-the-making in a region otherwise beset by despotism.
—Christian Caryl, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024
The threat of despotism went away temporarily.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2024
The necessity of power sharing also meant that Congress could provide a check against despotism even if the same party held the Presidency and a majority in both houses.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despotism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despotism
Noun
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Yet Croce and his peers knew that silence in the face of tyranny is not prudence.—
Elisa Manfredini,
Time,
14 June 2025
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This is because tyranny always catches you by surprise.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
Noun
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Miami Dade College also owns the Freedom Tower, an iconic building that once welcomed Cubans fleeing the Fidel Castro dictatorship.—
Douglas Hanks,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 June 2025
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The order bars entry for most applicants seeking tourist, student and business visas, further narrowing the few remaining legal pathways for families torn apart by dictatorship, displacement and economic collapse.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Some Democrats warn that the U.S. is sliding toward autocracy – a system in which one leader holds unchecked power.—
Daniel Treisman,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
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This capital city doesn't have the trappings of an autocracy.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
29 May 2025
Noun
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At the Seder, Molly compared liberatory ideas to the wind, an invisible force that blows everywhere and can’t be contained, even in the face of fascism.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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This is a core manifestation of fascism — using federal forces to put down dissent.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despotism. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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