tyranny

American  

[tir-uh-nee] / ˈtɪr ə ni /

noun

plural

tyrannies

1. arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority.

   Synonyms:

   dictatorship, absolutism, despotism

2. the government or rule of a tyrant or absolute ruler.

3. a state ruled by a tyrant or absolute ruler.

4. oppressive or unjustly severe government on the part of any ruler.

5. undue severity or harshness.

6. a cruel or harsh act or proceeding; an arbitrary, oppressive, or tyrannical action.

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tyranny British  

/ ˈtɪrənɪ /

noun

1. 1. government by a tyrant or tyrants; despotism

   2. similarly oppressive and unjust government by more than one person

2. arbitrary, unreasonable, or despotic behaviour or use of authority

   the teacher's tyranny

3. any harsh discipline or oppression

   the tyranny of the clock

4. a political unit ruled by a tyrant

5. (esp in ancient Greece) government by a usurper

6. a tyrannical act

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Other Word Forms

• tyrannous
  adjective
• tyrannously
  adverb
• tyrannousness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of tyranny

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English tyrannie, from Old French, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, equivalent to Latin tyrann(us) “oppressive ruler” + -ia noun suffix; see tyrant, -y ³

Explanation

Tyranny is a noun that describes a repressive and arbitrarily cruel regime. Don't accuse your mother of tyranny just because she won't let you play video games all weekend long. One of the root words of tyranny is the Latin tyrannia which means the "rule of a tyrant" and a tyrant is a "cruel master." Today, it can mean the repressive regime of a dictator or it can also mean being controlled by something metaphorically harsh like time or work. Maybe the oldest example of a tyranny is that of Tyrannosaurus Rex, or "king of the giant lizards," who many of us grew up thinking was the largest, most predatory and frightening of the dinosaurs who supposedly ruled over the rest of the dinosaur world with its huge, sharp teeth and claws.

Example Sentences

Around the seal, was the declaration, in Latin: “Resistance to Tyranny is Obedience to God.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

“Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given,” On Tyranny author Timothy Snyder notes.

From Slate • Jul. 8, 2025

As Timothy Snyder writes in "On Tyranny," "Fascists rejected reason in the name of will, denying objective truth in favor of a glorious myth articulated by leaders who claimed to give voice to the people."

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2025

Tyranny may start, in “I’m Still Here,” as the whir of a single helicopter, but without vigilance it can seep through your doors and windows until you are surrounded.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2024

Then, with his Round Table, he had tried to harness Tyranny in lesser forms, so that its power might be used for useful ends.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• authoritarianism
• autocracy
• coercion
• cruelty
• despotism
• domination
• oligarchy
• oppression
• terrorism
• totalitarianism