1
as in oppressive
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despotic
The first Mistborn trilogy of books centered on metal-using magicians who attempt to overthrow a despotic empire.
—
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for despotic
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for despotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despotic
Adjective
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Refusing to abide by aspects of the oppressive and budget-busting Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is as good a place to start as any.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
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The third was to free the Iranian people from a brutally oppressive government and move the country toward democratic representation reflecting the aspirations and talents of its 90 million people.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Founded by George Soros after the fall of communism, the university says the authoritarian government of Viktor Orbán forced 90% of its teaching operations out of the country in 2019, leaving behind a stark symbol of how far the nation has moved during the prime minister’s 16-year regime.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
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Reminiscent of authoritarian regimes, experts say What's branding in business is problematic in governance.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Bulls don’t want Buzelis to get caught up in hitting an arbitrary number on the scale.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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The advisory does not specify uniform procedures at the border but warns travelers that electronic data may be accessed and that enforcement can be arbitrary.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In the new version, the dramatic tension comes from the singer’s relationship with his domineering father, Joe Jackson, who doesn’t want his son’s solo career to come at the expense of the Jackson 5, the Motown group that put the family on the map.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
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Rethinking the Chávez myth True reappraisals of Chávez and his work wouldn’t start until after former Times editor and reporter Miriam Pawel published a 2006 series for this paper that showed the ugly, domineering side of Chávez and the UFW’s decline.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This means that filmmakers out of favor with autocratic regimes—including, in Iran, some of the nation’s greatest artists—don’t stand a chance, and some of the most notable recent Iranian films have been submitted by other countries.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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The civil wars that followed were ignited by violent crackdowns by autocratic rulers of those states, even as outside powers, including Iran in Syria, quickly intervened to prolong the fighting and support their allies.—
Frederic Wehrey,
Time,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As the sun and Jupiter clash, you’re cosmically protected, but arrogant behavior won’t get a pass.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
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For Iran, what counts is resistance, against arrogant and wicked oppressors, chiefly the United States and Israel.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As someone who dealt with overzealous RAs, thank you for shining a light on their tyrannical ways.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
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The Trueba family’s passions, struggles, and secrets span a century of violent social change, culminating in a crisis that hurls the proud, tyrannical patriarch and his beloved granddaughter towards opposite sides of the fence.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The upper ranks of the dictatorial regime’s leadership have been decimated.—
Kazem Kazerounian,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
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Aggressive, a bit dictatorial’.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despotic. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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