as in tyranny
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
by the end of the 20th century many countries around the world had rejected despotism in favor of democracy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despotism
Although Adolf Hitler met his road to perdition, Joseph Stalin survived and extended his despotism.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2024
His thug military’s attacks — and those of his thug street enforcers known as colectivos — on Venezuelans who’ve taken to the streets to protest his Gómez-ish despotism?
—Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
Democracy has its faults, but so, too, does every variety of despotism.
—Madeleine K. Albright, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021
The Netanyahu government is not fighting to liberate Gazans from despotism and establish the foundations for a two-state solution.
—Eric Levitz, Vox, 3 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for despotism
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2024
His thug military’s attacks — and those of his thug street enforcers known as colectivos — on Venezuelans who’ve taken to the streets to protest his Gómez-ish despotism?
—Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
Democracy has its faults, but so, too, does every variety of despotism.
—Madeleine K. Albright, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021
The Netanyahu government is not fighting to liberate Gazans from despotism and establish the foundations for a two-state solution.
—Eric Levitz, Vox, 3 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for despotism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despotism
Noun
-
Judicial review is an indispensable part of the checks and balances embedded in the Constitution as a protection against tyranny.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
20 Mar. 2025
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But that doesn’t justify your silence in the face of Trump’s tyranny, either.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Russia is our enemy and will be for at least as long as Putin's dictatorship endures (and the Russian people continue to succumb to nostalgia for great power status and empire).—
Bradley Gitz,
arkansasonline.com,
17 Mar. 2025
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Founded in 1998, the station is owned by journalist Marcus Garcia, another renowned Haitian journalist and columnist who led the struggle for press freedoms against the Duvalier dictatorship in the 1980s.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
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That game-changing support almost certainly won’t come from the United States, which under President Donald Trump is rapidly aligning itself with Russia and other autocracies.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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Some are pushing back against the Trump administration’s efforts to gut federal programs and fears about an autocracy in America.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Considering how many feel the show speaks to the rise in fascism currently taking place throughout the world, many believe the show has become adept at channeling real-world conflicts into a sci-fi allegory, but Gilroy doesn’t view his work as capturing the moment.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
16 Mar. 2025
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Our parents defeated fascism and communism at the cost of great sacrifice.—
Claude Malhuret,
The Atlantic,
8 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to despotism
Cite this Entry
“Despotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despotism. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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