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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Recent Examples of despotism
For decades, his despotism and depravity was limited to the long-suffering Russian people.
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2024
Authoritarians claim that only after scapegoats are purged can a nation be remade in the image of its strong leader, even as the nation, in purging those enemies, degenerates into despotism and lawlessness.
—Richard Cherwitz, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2024
The New York Times argued that Tweed’s prosecution offered a chance for New York City to rid itself of corruption, attract business and finance, and show new immigrants that America was a beacon for those fleeing despotism in other parts of the world.
—Ray Brescia / Made By History, TIME, 20 May 2024
So, between now and November expect Democrats and their media allies to argue endlessly, the only thing standing between American democracy and the despotism and heartless cruelty Republicans will undoubtedly bring is Biden.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for despotism 
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2024
Authoritarians claim that only after scapegoats are purged can a nation be remade in the image of its strong leader, even as the nation, in purging those enemies, degenerates into despotism and lawlessness.
—Richard Cherwitz, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2024
The New York Times argued that Tweed’s prosecution offered a chance for New York City to rid itself of corruption, attract business and finance, and show new immigrants that America was a beacon for those fleeing despotism in other parts of the world.
—Ray Brescia / Made By History, TIME, 20 May 2024
So, between now and November expect Democrats and their media allies to argue endlessly, the only thing standing between American democracy and the despotism and heartless cruelty Republicans will undoubtedly bring is Biden.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for despotism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despotism
Noun
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It's mainly made up of former and current law enforcement, former and current military, and these people see themselves as the last line of defense against government tyranny.Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
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Finally, Gibney breaks away from nonstop Sopranos worship for secondhand memories of Gandolfini’s personal struggles on the series — the mixture of pressure and addiction — and Chase’s transition into some level of occasional tyranny.Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2024
Noun
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His thirty-two-year hard-line dictatorship witnessed political assassinations and the violent suppression of human rights by his army.Hung Duong, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
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The peace plan tried to secure Arab recognition of Israel’s 1967 conquests, in exchange for more American aid and arms sales to the brutal Egyptian, Saudi and Emirati dictatorships.Caise D. Hassan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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To start a new movement, Tunisia’s civil society and its politicians must rebuild trust with the people and convince them, fundamentally, that democracy is more likely than autocracy to bring about the economic growth and stability the country needs.Sarah E. Yerkes, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
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Yet this cooperation masks divisions among the world’s major autocracies.Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Forcible suppression of opposition is a key component in fascism.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
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The Parisian Surrealists emerged amid the fresh traumas of World War I, the alienation of rapid industrialization, and the horrors of rising fascism.Jack Denton, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Despotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despotism. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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