despot
[ des-puht, -pot ]
/ ˈdɛs pət, -pɒt /
noun
a king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power; autocrat.
any tyrant or oppressor.
History/Historical. an honorary title applied to a Byzantine emperor, afterward to members of his family, and later to Byzantine vassal rulers and governors.
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Words nearby despot
despoil, despoliation, despond, despondency, despondent, despot, despotic, despotic monarchy, despotism, Des Prés, despumate
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for despot
British Dictionary definitions for despot
despot
/ (ˈdɛspɒt) /
noun
an absolute or tyrannical ruler; autocrat or tyrant
any person in power who acts tyrannically
a title borne by numerous persons of rank in the later Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empiresthe despot of Servia
Derived forms of despot
despotic (dɛsˈpɒtɪk) or despotical, adjectivedespotically, adverbWord Origin for despot
C16: from Medieval Latin despota, from Greek despotēs lord, master; related to Latin domus house
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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