despot
Americannoun
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a king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power; autocrat.
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any tyrant or oppressor.
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History/Historical. an honorary title applied to a Byzantine emperor, afterward to members of his family, and later to Byzantine vassal rulers and governors.
noun
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an absolute or tyrannical ruler; autocrat or tyrant
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any person in power who acts tyrannically
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a title borne by numerous persons of rank in the later Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires
the despot of Servia
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of despot
1555–65; < Greek despótēs master < *dems-pot- presumably, “master of the house,” equivalent to *dems-, akin to dómos house + pot-, base of pósis husband, spouse; cf. hospodar, host 1
Explanation
A despot, is a cruel, all-controlling ruler. For example, a despot does not allow people to speak out against the leadership, nor really want them to have much freedom at all. The word despot came into English in the sixteenth century from Old French, but it traces all the way back to the Greek word despotes, meaning "master of a household, lord, absolute ruler." The word is often used to describe someone who abuses power and oppresses others. Obviously, it's not a nice thing to call someone, especially within earshot of the despot who has absolute power over you.
Vocabulary lists containing despot
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When a reporter pressed Mamdani over a previous comment calling Trump a despot, the president interjected, “I’ve been called much worse than a despot, so it’s not that insulting.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has replaced three top officials in charge of his personal security, Seoul said Tuesday, a sign the despot may increasingly fear assassination plots.
From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026
Simmons, who plays the film’s jazz conservatory despot, Fletcher.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2025
In theory, it was created to empower everyday people and to prevent the consolidation of power by any one despot or monarch.
From Salon • Jan. 17, 2025
If my sister Rachel and Mr. William Shakespeare put their heads together to invent an extravagant despot, they couldn’t outdo Mobutu.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
