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 In the film, out September 11, Garfield plays Ploughman, the legendary leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 July 2026 Ḥusayn’s death became for the Shiʿah a symbol of selfless resistance against worldly injustice and tyranny and is commemorated with lamentation each year on Ashura. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 July 2026 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 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
  • While the White House hoped to remove Díaz-Canel and the Castro family from power, the push has been complicated by the lack of a credible opposition since revolutionary brothers Fidel and Raúl overthrew the island’s military dictatorship in 1959.
    — Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The Dominican Republic's former Minister for Regional Integration Policies, Miguel Mejía, considered the measure extreme, comparable only to the rupture imposed during the 31-year dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo that ended in 1961.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • The city is most associated with two things, European high culture and the rise of fascism.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • And of course fascism and Nazis were worse, but was war the answer?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 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
  • The transition from republic to autocracy is narrated through (imagined) letters and journals of his closest advisors, friends, and family.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But attributing Morocco’s triumph to autocracy misses the point.
    — Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 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
  • Mayor Brandon Johnson said Chicago would not yield to authoritarianism and pledged to continue investing in communities that have long been overlooked.
    — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • That’s how the public is able to hold government accountable, and accountability is crucial to the fight for democracy and against censorship and authoritarianism.
    — Heather Hendershot, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Definition of authoritarianism
Noun
  • Together with his lover Madame de Staël and their circle, Constant arrived at the idea—not in direct response to the Königsberg scandal but in response to the moralizing public absolutism of the age—that liberty required privacy to flourish.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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 21 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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