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despot

   Also found in: Legal, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
des·pot  (dspt)
n.
1. A ruler with absolute power.
2. A person who wields power oppressively; a tyrant.
3.
a. A Byzantine emperor or prince.
b. An Eastern Orthodox bishop or patriarch.
[French despote, from Medieval Latin despota, from Greek despots, master; see dem- in Indo-European roots.]
des·potic (d-sptk) adj.
des·poti·cal·ly adv.
despot
Noun
any person in power who acts tyrannically [Greek despotēs lord, master]
despotic adj
despotically adv
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.despotdespot - a cruel and oppressive dictator
autocrat, tyrant
czar - a person having great power
potentate, dictator - a ruler who is unconstrained by law
despot
noun tyrant, dictator, oppressor, autocrat, monocrat
Translations
Spanish despot [ˈdɛspɔt] n → déspota m/f
French despot [ˈdɛspɔt] n → despote m/f
German despot [ˈdɛspɔt] n → Despot m
Italian despot [ˈdɛspɔt] n → despota m
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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The skeleton of even the most lawless despot makes a good constitutional sovereign.
Fantastic-Fables by Bierce, Ambrose View in context
An earthly despotism would be the absolutely perfect earthly government, if the conditions were the same, namely, the despot the perfectest individual of the human race, and his lease of life perpetual.
A Connecticut Yankee by Twain, Mark View in context
When I have been travelling up and down on our boats, or about on my collecting tours, and reflected that every brutal, disgusting, mean, low-lived fellow I met, was allowed by our laws to become absolute despot of as many men, women and children, as he could cheat, steal, or gamble money enough to buy,--when I have seen such men in actual ownership of helpless children, of young girls and women,--I have been ready to curse my country, to curse the human race
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Stowe, Harriet Beecher View in context
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