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
If not for our nation’s First Amendment, our country could quickly resemble a despotism where police forces attack reporters and quash news reports that diverge from the official view.
—
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 15 July 2025
Can that Huntington Beach teach the rest of us a thing — or thirty — not just about how to stand up to despotism, but how to beat it back?
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
Now American culture bows down to Anna Wintour’s despotism.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 May 2025
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
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 15 July 2025
Can that Huntington Beach teach the rest of us a thing — or thirty — not just about how to stand up to despotism, but how to beat it back?
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
Now American culture bows down to Anna Wintour’s despotism.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 May 2025
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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These cars are sensational, liberating Honda’s engineering excellence from the tyranny of front-wheel drive.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
28 Oct. 2025
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Andrew Garfield leads the feature that is now in production, portraying the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Minister Kabawat is a member of the Christian minority and a longtime member of the opposition to the former dictatorship of Bashar Al-Assad that was defeated by Al-Shara in late 2024.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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After the fall of Hungary’s Communist dictatorship, dozens of decommissioned monuments were sent to Budapest’s Memento Park, including the boots from an enormous statue of Stalin, which had been torn down by irate crowds.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Because, as the analysis above suggests, autocracy always comes gradually.—
John M. Crisp,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
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Mozambique’s mobilization against autocracy gained traction, Argentina’s mass protests against femicide went mainstream, and Indonesia’s civil unrest over economic frustrations came to a head.—
Michael Shank,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Politically or electorally speaking, Maoism could hardly be less relevant in this day and age—no one wants egalitarian totalitarianism anymore than (most) people want fascism.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
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Right-wing figures have blamed the Left for increasing the political temperature and resulting in Kirk’s assassination by weaponizing accusations of fascism, Nazism, and various kinds of bigotry.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despotism. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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