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
Cutting bureaucracy isn’t usually associated with despotism and power grabs.
—
Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2025
Picking your form of government used to feel like an existential choice, but now despotism and oligarchy are hardly differentiated.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025
Western governments have burdened Georgia with a special status as a democracy-in-the-making in a region otherwise beset by despotism.
—Christian Caryl, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024
The threat of despotism went away temporarily.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for despotism
Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2025
Picking your form of government used to feel like an existential choice, but now despotism and oligarchy are hardly differentiated.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025
Western governments have burdened Georgia with a special status as a democracy-in-the-making in a region otherwise beset by despotism.
—Christian Caryl, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024
The threat of despotism went away temporarily.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for despotism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despotism
Noun
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Religious freedom and freedom of speech make up the engine of self-government and form a bulwark against tyranny.—
Kristen Waggoner,
National Review,
5 July 2025
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Determined to liberate Panem, Katniss and her fellow rebels embark on a dangerous journey into the heart of the Capitol to save the nation from President Snow’s tyranny once and for all.—
Kelly Martinez Published,
EW.com,
5 July 2025
Noun
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During the dictatorship, blackouts were used to control people.—
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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But if Trump’s Iran gamble turns out well and Iran’s theocratic dictatorship either crumbles or gives up its uranium enrichment program through diplomatic negotiations — a big if — Trump will be credited with having done something four previous presidents contemplated but ultimately failed to do.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Obama warns America ‘dangerously close’ to slipping into autocracy | RISING Robby Soave and Niall Stanage react to new commentary from former President Obama warning about the future of American Democracy.—
The Hill,
The Hill,
19 June 2025
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The good news is that the slide into autocracy isn’t inevitable for the U.S.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
14 May 2025
Noun
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Like many other industrialized nations, Japan in the 1930s turned to fascism and the construction of autarkic economic empires as a solution to the instabilities engendered by capitalist modernity.—
Waiyee Loh,
JSTOR Daily,
2 July 2025
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Amid the coming-out balls, proposals and a whopper of a divorce scandal, a more insidious theme emerged: the rise of fascism in Europe, and two of the sisters’ infatuation with it.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despotism. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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