1
as in arbitrary
exercising power or authority without interference by others
a nation ruled by a series of despotic rulers, each seemingly worse than the last
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
the despotic coach demands that his players obey him without question
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Recent Examples of despotic
The Framers understood the danger of a despotic regime and regarded the criminal jury trial as a key procedural safeguard to help ensure that only those acts and individuals society deemed truly culpable result in criminal punishment.
—
Mike Fox, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Photo: Obscured Pictures Building the world of the film also meant drawing on all manner of cultural references—from the depths of the Vice News YouTube channel to an early ’00s documentary about American Apparel and its despotic CEO, Dov Charney, that Ulman sent to Simon Rex.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 May 2025
In these ways, Trump’s despotic acts are indeed without precedent in American history.
—Patrick Eddington, Oc Register, 20 Apr. 2025
It was first created in 1942 specifically to serve as a foil to Axis disinformation and over the years became a beacon of hope to people living under all manner of totalitarian and despotic governments.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despotic
Mike Fox, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Photo: Obscured Pictures Building the world of the film also meant drawing on all manner of cultural references—from the depths of the Vice News YouTube channel to an early ’00s documentary about American Apparel and its despotic CEO, Dov Charney, that Ulman sent to Simon Rex.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 May 2025
In these ways, Trump’s despotic acts are indeed without precedent in American history.
—Patrick Eddington, Oc Register, 20 Apr. 2025
It was first created in 1942 specifically to serve as a foil to Axis disinformation and over the years became a beacon of hope to people living under all manner of totalitarian and despotic governments.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despotic
Adjective
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If senior figures display rudeness or disrespect, employees may assume that such behavior is acceptable, making selective enforcement seem arbitrary and undermining of trust.—
Andrew Binns,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Moreover, Burroughs further held that the administration’s actions were arbitrary and capricious, in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).—
Noah Feldman,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Tanks rumbled through Tiananmen Square, a location that offered a stark reminder of how authoritarian states can violently crush democratic movements.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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On Thursday morning, opposition party Vente Venezuela denounced the detention of Julio Velazco, a local activist involved with the campaign of Maria Corina Machado, the main opposition leader who is still in hiding after the authoritarian push that followed the election.—
Andrew Raine,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Related Stories Farrelly thinks that kind of oppressive political correctness is fading and that audiences are eager to see movies that eviscerate good taste in order to land a joke again.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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Pitted against the unforgettably evil Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), a sadist who drugs and abuses the unlucky patients in her care, McMurphy’s stand against the oppressive powers that be is tragic and poignant and spoke to the spirit of a time in which so many felt misunderstood.—
Christina Newland,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Also in the cast: Emmy winner Laurie Metcalfe, as Augusta Gein, the murderer's religious, domineering mother; Tom Hollander as director Alfred Hitchcock; Olivia Williams as the filmmaker's wife, Alma Reville Hitchcock; and Lesley Manville, as Gein's second murder victim, Bernice Worden.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Cappellazzo could be domineering.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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These early years emphasized goofiness, offensiveness, and mocking arrogant celebrities who pushed their platforms at award shows.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Aug. 2025
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The announcement was made during a backstage segment involving NXT General Manager Ava and the arrogant superstar Lexis King.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The great power contest today seems to be between who will lead an increasingly autocratic world, and China is moving into the lead.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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London — The United States is sliding into 1930s-style autocratic politics, billionaire Ray Dalio has warned.—
Olesya Dmitracova,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The citizens of Venezuela don't deserve to live under the tyrannical rule of Maduro or any of his henchmen!—
Dan Gooding
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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With Rome's descent under tyrannical rule, Lucius must step into the gladiatorial ring and fight like his father before him for survival.—
James Mercadante,
People.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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That Trump would explicitly address the dictator issue this week reflects just how head-spinningly fast his dictatorial actions have been coming at us.—
Jackie Calmes,
Mercury News,
30 Aug. 2025
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La'An, meanwhile, starts to exhibit the dictatorial traits of the warmongering Romulans, who — unbeknown to most of the Federation — split off from the Vulcans to go their own way a few millennia previously.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despotic. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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