tyranny

noun

ˈtir-ə-nē How to pronounce tyranny (audio)
Definition of tyrannynext
as in dictatorship
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power a popular uprising replaced that nation's tyranny with freedom and democracy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tyranny But, as Roy points out, finding love with Ellen actually gives Brian the strength to stand up to Lovat’s tyranny rather than bow to it. — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 Lawmakers from Fidesz and its coalition party, the Christian Democrats, did not take part in Monday’s vote, calling the charges against their lawmakers political tyranny by Magyar’s government. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 And Ric Salinas, who plays Chachalacani, humorously obliges, bringing his Culture Clash vaudeville skills to the role of the sentry who’s caught between the rock of Klion’s tyranny and his fellow feeling for Antíkona’s sympathetic cause. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Focus Features has the Andrew Garfield period movie The Uprising from Paul Greengrass which is based on the legend of Robin Hood in his crusade against King Richard II’s tyranny. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyranny
  1. dictatorship
  2. fascism
  3. despotism
  4. autocracy
  5. totalitarianism
  6. authoritarianism
  7. absolutism
Noun
  • The first project is about the disappearance of petty criminal El Nani (aka Santiago Correla) in 1980s Spain during the country’s transition out of dictatorship and into democracy.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Nixon had called Cuba a dictatorship prior to the interview, and has repeated that position since.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Having witnessed the rise of fascism up close, Morgenthau was shocked to find that so many Americans believed that human nature was fundamentally good, that peace was the normal condition of humanity, and that history was a story of progress.
    — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But that belies what many critics have decried as authoritarian actions by this administration, and these comparisons with fascism continue to animate public discourse.
    — Matthew N. Hannah, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • Fed up with Shockley’s managerial despotism, Noyce—along with seven colleagues, who became known as the Traitorous Eight—defected to found a rival firm, Fairchild Semiconductor, and then defected again to found Intel.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The nation which will not adopt an equilibrium of power must adopt a despotism.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of despotism
Noun
  • As in any tin-pot autocracy, this was the price of doing business.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Fighting autocracy and inequality The Ford Foundation frames its new plan as its answer to rising autocracy, widening inequality, and fading public trust.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of autocracy
Noun
  • Of the possibilities of a better world born out of struggle against totalitarianism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Democracy versus corruption and oligarchical totalitarianism is the one and only point.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of totalitarianism
Noun
  • Look at Brazil, which has come back from the brink of a return to authoritarianism only because the crimes of even a former president like Jair Bolsonaro were duly investigated, laid bare for the public, and the perpetrator punished.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Voting is the only way out for anyone who’s unhappy with a government headed toward authoritarianism.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of authoritarianism
Noun
  • Their agenda was backward-looking, morally coercive, and steeped in righteous absolutism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The meta story of Life of M’s creation — how Cusk ignored decorum in favor of artistic absolutism — is perhaps the most intriguing element of this saga.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of absolutism

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tyrannous
tyranny
tyrant
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Cite this Entry

“Tyranny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyranny. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tyranny

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tyranny

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