noun
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the rule of a despot; arbitrary, absolute, or tyrannical government
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arbitrary or tyrannical authority or behaviour
Discover More
The term usually suggests unscrupulous rule, or tyranny.
Etymology
Origin of despotism
From the French word despotisme, dating back to 1720–30. See despot, -ism
Explanation
Despotism is a way of ruling in which the leader has total, unchecked power. Joseph Stalin purged the Soviet Union of all his opponents in order to rule the country through despotism. He didn’t have many friends. Despotism can also describe tyranny, the wielding of power through cruelty and terror. It's often used in reference to a country that's ruled by a dictator, but despotism can describe any situation characterized by oppression and threats. When your sister threatens to send all of your friends embarrassing baby photos of you if you don’t let her control the TV remote, that’s despotism.
Vocabulary lists containing despotism
Some Political and Philosophical -isms
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Power Suffix: -ism
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George H.W. Bush (1924 -2018) Tribute List
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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.
We face the tyranny of ubiquitous pleasure, of easy comfort—the soft despotism of “Brave New World,” not the brutal authoritarianism of “1984.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
However, the party said it was proud that Tchiroma Bakary could find "safe sanctuary" in The Gambia, adding that it was fully aware of how "despotism operates and how dissenters are treated".
From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2025
So they bequeathed us the separation of powers and the associated checks and balances ideally expected to counter such despotism.
From Salon ● Apr. 21, 2024
He works to keep them in check, but Shakespeare illustrates in this character the way righteous indignation can flirt with despotism.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2023
Prison administration couldn’t help being a despotism, but it could be an enlightened one.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
