despot

[des-puht, -pot]

noun

1. a king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power; autocrat.

2. any tyrant or oppressor.

3. History/Historical.,  an honorary title applied to a Byzantine emperor, afterward to members of his family, and later to Byzantine vassal rulers and governors.

despot

/ dɛsˈpɒtɪk, ˈdɛspɒt /

noun

1. an absolute or tyrannical ruler; autocrat or tyrant

2. any person in power who acts tyrannically

3. a title borne by numerous persons of rank in the later Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires

   the despot of Servia

Other Word Forms

• despotically adverb
• despotic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of despot¹

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; hospodar, host ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of despot¹

C16: from Medieval Latin despota, from Greek despotēs lord, master; related to Latin domus house

Example Sentences

The Uzbek despot distinguished himself by “boiling his enemies, slaughtering his poverty-stricken people when they protest, and conscripting armies of children for slave labour,” according to The Guardian.

From Salon

So, stand up for free speech or fall to a despot who wants you to remain quiet.

From Salon

They are only a sticking point for would-be kings and despots who successfully deceive and subjugate the masses.

From Salon

In Florida and elsewhere, there were individuals of rare caliber who rose up in their day to defeat these right-wing despots.

From Salon

“We will never let the evil will of a sad, malignant despot dictate how we treat one another,” said the Greyhound Bar & Grill in Highland Park.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• autocrat 
• oppressor 
• tyrant