despot

[ des-puht, -pot ]

noun

1. a king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power; autocrat.
2. any tyrant or oppressor.
3. History/Historical. an honorary title applied to a Byzantine emperor, afterward to members of his family, and later to Byzantine vassal rulers and governors.

despot

/ dɛsˈpɒtɪk; ˈdɛspɒt /

noun

1. an absolute or tyrannical ruler; autocrat or tyrant
2. any person in power who acts tyrannically
3. a title borne by numerous persons of rank in the later Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires

   the despot of Servia

Derived Forms

• desˈpotically, adverb
• despotic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of despot¹

1555–65; < Greek despótēs master < *dems-pot- presumably, “master of the house,” equivalent to *dems-, akin to dómos house + pot-, base of pósis husband, spouse; hospodar, host ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of despot¹

C16: from Medieval Latin despota, from Greek despotēs lord, master; related to Latin domus house

Example Sentences

“The kind of outcome where you have a military that is used as the tool of a despot — I don’t think we’re particularly close to that,” said Friedman, of Defense Priorities.

From Los Angeles Times

The insight into Trump’s character — and character is what Trump does — comes from seeing how he goes from desperate to despot.

From Salon

An orange-tinted despot seemed relatively harmless compared to the ones in their ancestral lands, so they didn’t view Trump as much of a threat.

From Los Angeles Times

But then “the country was suddenly threatened by this wannabe despot” while he was a leader on House Intelligence, he said, and “things changed dramatically.”

From Los Angeles Times

It is probably enough of a thrill to watch Daryl dispatch with zombies and despots using a medieval flail, or Carol stalk around centuries-old French villages like a commando.

From Salon

Related Words

• autocrat
• oppressor
• tyrant