despotic
adjective
des·pot·ic
de-ˈspä-tik 
di-
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a despot
a despotic government
Examples of despotic in a Sentence
a nation ruled by a series of despotic rulers, each seemingly worse than the last
the despotic coach demands that his players obey him without question
Recent Examples on the Web
The notion that these companies were sovereign enclaves of pitilessly despotic geniuses is a myth of recent vintage.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Most humans who have ever lived have done so under despotic regimes.
—Stephen D. Krasner, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2020
The Trump of the first half of the movie might surprise viewers used to the 2025 version: an outer-borough scion, ambitious but unsure, who bristles under his despotic father, aspires to greater recognition and bets big on the revival of Midtown Manhattan during its 1970s nadir.
—Marc Tracy, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
Guaranteeing the people’s right to bear arms, both through state militias and as individuals, would serve as deterrence against federal leaders with despotic aspirations.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despotic
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Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Most humans who have ever lived have done so under despotic regimes.
—Stephen D. Krasner, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2020
The Trump of the first half of the movie might surprise viewers used to the 2025 version: an outer-borough scion, ambitious but unsure, who bristles under his despotic father, aspires to greater recognition and bets big on the revival of Midtown Manhattan during its 1970s nadir.
—Marc Tracy, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
Guaranteeing the people’s right to bear arms, both through state militias and as individuals, would serve as deterrence against federal leaders with despotic aspirations.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despotic
Cite this Entry
“Despotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despotic. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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