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 Dave Roberts should know that the first obligation of a patriot is to stand up against tyranny. — Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 Much of the world lived under tyranny of one form or another. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2026 In its vision of a desolate America ruled by tyranny and militia, the United States becomes, in the eyes of those who live in its pre-industrial ruins, an idealized symbol of better times. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026 Reading words in legal texts divorced from fundamental moral values will not save us from tyranny. — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 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
  • None of Argentina’s players had been born when the country’s military dictatorship invaded the Malvinas in 1982, holding the islands for 73 days before British forces recaptured them in a war that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British troops.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • Because Iran is a theocratic dictatorship that routinely arrests and in some cases executes journalists, Western reporters hoping to cover the country must either work clandestinely or submit to government supervision.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • Brogin, who said at the time that the law was akin to fascism, fought the city, unsuccessfully.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
  • Ben-Ghiat’s comparative work on fascism does not function as a morality play either.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • The nation which will not adopt an equilibrium of power must adopt a despotism.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • His dream was nothing less than a new reality, a hopeful future free of despotism, ruled by equality and liberty, rather than kings and queens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of despotism
Noun
  • But attributing Morocco’s triumph to autocracy misses the point.
    — Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • Not long ago, a senile American president’s plan to lead democracies in a battle with autocracies was being applauded by post-1989 Atlanticists such as Anne Applebaum and Adam Michnik.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
Definition of autocracy
Noun
  • Visual artist and historian Ranfis Suárez Ramos highlighted the importance of internet access for Cubans as a way to break the hold of totalitarianism.
    — Sarah Moreno June 5, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
  • His parents’ experience living under totalitarianism shaped his outlook on the world.
    — Iris Kwok May 12, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Definition of totalitarianism
Noun
  • Democrats can’t seem to deliver lower costs or quality of life, let alone take on the existential threats of climate change and authoritarianism.
    — Ryder Kessler, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026
  • And the urgency of Judar’s meditations on authoritarianism, impunity, social repression, and avenues for liberation in the United States in 2026 is so clear as to be self-evident.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Definition of authoritarianism
Noun
  • In fact, that kind of absolutism is a good way to become part of another kind of silencing, another kind of injustice.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • The result is the extreme polarization and absolutism.
    — Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Definition of absolutism

Browse Nearby Words

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 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tyranny

Nglish: Translation of tyranny for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tyranny

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